Beyond The Blur: The Sonic The Hedgehog Story
by SaturnNights
Summary: Sonic The Hedgehog, small town kid, brought into the world of stardom. The Rise, Falls and Rebirths of his career. A look into the life of an icon.
1. The Audition

**Hey everyone, welcome to my new story. The idea just popped into my head and I knew I had to make it a reality, so I hope you enjoy.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Mario, Mario is property of Nintendo._

* * *

 **Sega Studios: 1990.**

It had been seven years since they had entered the entertainment industry, unfortunately with each attempt to break out into superstar status, Nintendo were always king.

Sega Studios Team had called together every employee they could for a board meeting on what they could possibly do.

One more failure from them and they would be out of business for sure.

"Alright people, we have about a year to make a huge hit, otherwise get in the unemployment line." One exec stated.

After hours of brainstorming new potential projects, one intern spoke up.

"Um sir…" He starts trailing off.

"What is it, someone order another coffee?" He said uninterested.

"No sir, it's just, well, Nintendo has Mario, I was thinking, maybe if we had our own star in the spotlight, then maybe people would start noticing us." The intern suggested nervously.

"We already got a guy." Someone pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's doing nothing for us, I think the kid is onto something, what's your name kid?" The exec asks.

"Its Miles sir, Miles Prower." Miles says.

"Well Miles, congratulations, keep this up and you may be promoted in no time." The exec said.

"As for the rest of you, get the word out to the media, put out advertisements everywhere, print as many fliers as you can, we're holding auditions for a new star." He announced.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Speeding across the plains, an excited young hedgehog ran all the way home, being welcomed by his parents as he came home from school.

"How was your day dear?" Bernadette asked.

"It was good, I aced the test, plus Scourge got suspended so it was a win win." Sonic said with joy.

"Nice work, by the way, your mother has something she wants to tell you." Jules said.

"What is it mom?" Sonic asked.

"I noticed this on my way home from work, I thought it would be perfect for you." Bernadette says, handing him a flier.

Looking at it, Sonic read it aloud.

"Auditions for new starring role, all creatures welcome, auditions this Saturday at 9 AM sharp." Sonic read.

"You should go and try out." Bernadette said.

"Mom, I've only been in a few school plays." Sonic pointed out.

"Yes and you were fantastic in all of them, please, just do it for my sake." His mother pleaded.

"Okay." Sonic said with a sigh.

"Thank you." She said with a smile.

* * *

 **Saturday.**

Sega had rented out a small theater to hold auditions, bringing along Miles to help cast their new star.

"I'm not sure I'm right for this, I don't know anything about acting." Miles said.

"Trust me kid, you'll know a celebrity when you see him." One of the other casting coaches told him.

"We've been in this business for years, trust us." The other said.

Tails gulped in nervousness, slowly awaiting the hopefuls.

Outside, the line for the theater seemed to go on forever.

Over a hundred hopefuls had shown up for their chance to become famous.

Sonic felt like he couldn't breathe, he was just an inexperienced novice, there was no way he had a chance.

At the stroke of nine, the doors opened and everyone rushed inside.

"Welcome everyone." The exec welcomed them.

"Today, one of you will become famous beyond your wildest dreams, I wish you all the best of luck." He said.

"There are four rooms, you will be divided accordingly and called one by one to the stage, where you will present your skill sets." One of the employees announced.

Each group wandered off to their designated rooms, preparing for the audition of their lives.

Inside the room, Sonic took notice of some of the others surrounding him.

There was an echidna wearing spiked gloves, smashing a cinder block with one punch, a chameleon next to him, simply meditating and a crocodile nodding his head along with the music playing from his headphones.

"My friends, they're a bit strange, but you get used to them." Someone said, sitting next to him, causing Sonic to jump in shock.

"Sorry about that." He said while laughing.

"No problem." He said.

"I'm Mighty, Mighty the Armadillo." Mighty introduces himself, holding out his hand.

"Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic says, returning the handshake.

"So what brings you here?" Mighty asks.

"Well, my mom saw the flier, she basically begged me to audition, what about you?" Sonic asks.

"Well, were here hoping we'll break out and be able to make enough money to move out of the slums." Mighty explained.

"You live in the slums." Sonic said in surprise.

"Yeah, Vector took us in after our parents passed, he's been wanting to be in movies since he was our age, so we'd figured if we all tried maybe we'd have a better chance of succeeding." Mighty continued.

"So, the four of you are homeless?" Sonic asked.

"There's five of us actually, Vector didn't bring our friend Charmy because he's still too young and too annoying." Mighty said with a laugh.

"As for homeless, we do what we can, we take odd jobs and sleep in some abandoned warehouses from time to time." Mighty said.

Sonic looked at him with sympathy and after a few minutes of awkward silence, the two began chatting.

A couple hours passed and the rooms grew emptier, till it was down to the two of them.

"Mighty the Armadillo?" An employee called.

"Looks like I'm up, wish me luck." Mighty said, heading out the door to the stage.

Sonic took a deep breath, awaiting his turn.

 _"Of course I'm last, no pressure or anything." Sonic thought nervously._

A few minutes later, Mighty walked off stage and out to the main hall as Sonic's name was called.

"They told me to wait out here, good luck buddy." Mighty told him.

Sonic gave a nervous smile and walked through, onto the stage.

The spotlight shined on him, adding to his anxiety.

"Alright kid, we want cool, edgy and most of all attitude, show us what you got." One of the casting guys told him.

Sonic gulped, his breathing growing heavier as seconds passed, he began to grow paralyzed on stage in fear.

"Any day now." The casting guy said with annoyance.

Sonic took a deep breath and at the peak of anxiety, let out a yell as he blasted through the theater at supersonic speed, knocking the seats up into the air, causing a small whirlwind inside, knocking them out of their seats.

When Sonic had regained control, he stopped, right on stage, panting from what he had just done.

The casting team looked over the knocked over table in shock and awe.

"Um…sorry." Sonic uttered.

"Please, wait outside till further notice." One of them said.

Sonic obliged, walking out while trying not to make eye contact.

"Well, that was interesting." One of them said.

"Yeah, my vote stays with Mighty, he's got the charisma we need for this project." The other said.

"I don't know, that Sonic kid's speed could be a great angle for us, think of the marketing we can push." He said.

"He's too inexperienced, plus look at what he caused." The other points out.

"Well then, I guess the decision falls to Miles." He says as they both turn their gazes to him.

Meanwhile outside Sonic and Mighty awaited the news.

"It couldn't have been that bad." Mighty said.

"You have no idea." Sonic said, hanging his head in shame.

A few minutes later, the casting team walked out to tell them their decision.

"Congratulations Mr. Hedgehog, you've got the role."

* * *

 **Alright, this is gonna be fun. Just wanna say thanks for checking it out and have an amazing day.**


	2. Stage Fright

**Hey everybody! Welcome back to Beyond The Blur. Without further ado, let's dive in to the next part in the life of Sonic.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Mario, Mario is property of Nintendo._

* * *

 **April: 1990.**

He had done it, by chance he had landed the role of a lifetime.

With a feeling of heavy sorrow and a little guilt, he bid goodbye to his friends and family, setting out for his new career.

Exiting the airport, Sonic had arrived, being greeted by a chauffeur who was instructed to take him to the studio.

"Wow." Sonic said, taking in the sights of the city.

He was a long way from the quiet suburban life he was so used to.

* * *

 **Sega Studios.**

Sonic exited the vehicle, staring up at the giant blue sign.

SEGA, written in lights, intimidation and wonder setting in, it was like a new home to him already.

"Sonic!" A voice called out.

He turned, to be greeted by the executives and employees from the day of his audition, but following behind was a mob of press, their cameras aimed right at him.

"Sonic, my boy, how ya doing?" One of the employees asked.

Sonic went to answer but was cut off.

"Ladies and gentleman, meet the newest shining star in the business, Sonic The Hedgehog!" Upon his announcement, the press went wild with questions and flashes of light.

"Mr. Hedgehog, what do you hope to accomplish with your work?l" a reporter asked.

"Mr. Hedgehog, are you attached to anyone at this time?!" Another reporter asked.

"Hey, Mr. Hedgehog, do you think you can beat Mario?!" One of the photographers asked.

Sonic began to tremble in fear at the hounding, fortunately for him, the higher ups were used to it.

"People, people, please let the man get to work, he's got a long day ahead of him, if you have any questions, make an appointment for an interview, for now, leave the rest to us." The employee excused them.

With that, they hurried Sonic inside the foundation.

"Sorry about that kid, don't worry, we'll teach you how to handle the press, pretty soon you'll be a pro." The employee assured him.

"Oh, where are my manners, allow me to introduce myself, the name is Khan, Ken Khan and I'm gonna be managing your career." Ken introduced himself.

"Really?" Sonic asked.

"Yep, just so long as you follow instructions and that this project doesn't fail, otherwise, you're on your own kid." Ken said.

Sonic went pale from his words.

"Don't worry about it, this thing is gonna be a gold mine, you'll be fine, now come on, let's get you ready for filming." Ken said, leading him to the set.

"Woah." Sonic said in amazement

Before his eyes, was a plain of grass, as far as his eyes could see, mountains in the distance, waterfalls flowing down, it looked like a paradise.

"Alright, bring in the traps!" Someone shouted.

Instantly the paradise he witnessed was torn apart, in places once beautiful, were now collapsing platforms, intimidating looking robots and spikes, endless amounts of spikes.

"Perfect!" The woman shouted again.

"Come on, let me introduce you." Ken said.

Walking over to the very woman who rearranged the once perfect scene, Sonic took notice of this odd individual.

"Sonic, this is our director, Ms. Rouge The Bat." Ken introduces her.

"Rouge, this is Sonic, I want you to mold him into an award winning actor." Ken gives the task.

Suddenly, Ken was interrupted by his phone.

"Yeah, oh you gotta be kidding me, no, no, I'll be right there." He said with a sigh and hung up.

"I gotta get going, that Kidd guy is giving us trouble again, I swear if he keeps this up, this'll be the last time he ever works in this town again." Ken complained, rushing off to handle their current star.

"Sorry about Ken, he's a little…eccentric." Rouge tries to be nice.

"Anyways, you ready for your first big scene?" Rouge asks.

"Uh…sure, what is it exactly?" Sonic asks in confusion.

"Well, as you can see, we packed this whole area with traps and enemies for your big introduction scene, all you have to do is navigate Green Hill at your high speed, jumping from cliff to cliff, avoiding danger at every turn, rushing through loop after loop, till finally, you meet face to face with your arch enemy." Rouge explains.

Sonic gulps in pure terror, never had he imagined that he would have to perform such feats of his abilities, let alone life endangering stunts.

"You got all that?" Rouge asks.

"Y-yeah." Sonic stuttered.

"Great." Rouge said, putting her arm around him and guiding him onto the first part of Green Hill before returning to her chair to direct.

"Alright, quiet on set, lights now, okay and…action!"

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Ken had returned to his office, only to be greeted by the Sega executives.

"Let me guess, Kidd trash another hotel room?" Ken asked, half jokingly.

No one laughed, instead, one of them slammed down a newspaper, the headline almost mocking them with it's presence.

 _"King Of Entertainment: Mario 3 On Top." It read._

"So what, we already knew it was a huge success." Ken pointed out.

"Keep reading." One of them said.

"Super Mario Bros 3, the newest offering from the already famed series, breaks new ground and creates an unimaginable experience that needs to be seen." Ken reads aloud.

"Nintendo have just announced that work on the next Mario title had already begun prior to the release of Mario 3 and will be released in August of next year." Ken continued to read, his tone growing more stressed.

"What does this mean?" Ken asked in worry.

"It means we have less time then we thought, we have to get our big title out before the next Mario is released, we have a set date, June 23rd of next year, we have to have it ready by then." The exec informed him.

Ken nodded and started to sweat, before excusing himself outside.

He rushed to his car, driving off, back to the set.

* * *

 **Back On Set.**

"Take twenty seven." Rouge groaned.

The unprofessional nature of Sonic had caught up to him, his nervousness taking over, to the point he couldn't get passed the first scene.

A screeching was heard, coming from outside, Ken bursting through the door just seconds later.

"Good, Ken, we need help here." Rouge said.

"Yeah, so do I, the release date has been pushed back to June." Ken said, panicking a little.

"Are you kidding me?" Rouge said in disbelief.

"No, we need to get this movie hitting the ground running from the get go, how's it going?" Ken asked.

"Horrible, this kid's a wreck, he can barely move." Rouge complained.

Ken looked over, seeing a shivering Sonic, darting his eyes around in anxiety.

Ken sighed, holding his head in his hands.

"The guy was like this at the audition too, look, just talk to him, he took off running before, just try to get through to him." Ken told her.

Rouge rolled her eyes and walked over, standing next to Sonic, hoping she could get the young hedgehog to cooperate.

"Sonic, are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, it's just all too much." Sonic said, a tear escaping.

"I'm just not used to all this." Sonic said.

"I understand it can be overwhelming, but you have a job to do and we need your help just as much as you need us." She said.

"Isn't there anything that can help you concentrate, something to help you run and build your confidence?" Rouge asked.

Sonic thought hard before the answer clicked.

"My lucky shoes, they're this pair of red shoes my friend Amy gave me before she moved, whenever I wear them, I can run faster then ever." Sonic tells her.

"Awww, how sweet, do you have them?" Rouge asks.

"Yeah, got them in my suitcase." Sonic says.

"Go get them!" Rouge says, in a hectic tone.

Sonic rushed over to his suitcase, slipping on the shoes, which unknown to him, would become part of his iconic image.

Rouge sat back down in her chair, giving direction on preparation in this scene one more time.

"Okay and…action!" Rouge said.

 **Boom!**

The stage rumbled as Sonic took off, almost faster than The cameras could catch.

Each chasm, each Badnik, blasted through in mere seconds.

"Way passed cool!" Sonic shouted as he curled into ball, making it off the loop, launching in the air, landing on the capsule, holding creatures inside.

He confidently pressed the button with a smirk, releasing the innocent creatures of the land.

The entire crews mouths hung wide open at hedgehog's performance.

Suddenly a slow clapping was heard, coming from Rouge and Ken, the rest of the crew joining them after.

In that moment, a star was born.


	3. Premiere

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **June 23rd 1991.**

The release day had arrived.

After almost a year of filming and an aggressive marketing campaign, Sega was about to release what would either save them or end their chance at success all together.

However they made sure they wouldn't go down without a fight, you couldn't look anywhere without seeing billboards, posters and even commercials, showcasing the blue hedgehog.

 _"Well, this it." Sonic thought nervously._

He had never been to a red carpet event before, let alone be the center of attention for it.

Sonic fidgeted with his bow tie, as he felt uncomfortable in the tux he had received for wear at the premiere.

 _"Okay, it's fine, it's just for one night." Sonic reasoned._

"Hey blue boy, you ready?" Rouge asked.

Sonic nodded, exiting the limousine.

Quicker than his own speed, the paparazzi mobbed him from behind the guard railings, the flashes of light and incoherent speeches more intense than ever.

He slowly made his way towards the theater, before being stopped by Rouge in front of a panel with the his logo.

"Time to talk to the press." She whispered.

The cameras just kept going and going as the interviews began.

"Mr. Hedgehog is it true you can run at incredibly fast speeds, or is that just the marketing guys at work?" One reporter joked.

Sonic smirked before rushing off into the city, leaving a sonic boom in the midst of the premiere and not a second later, reappearing in front of them once more.

He gained some applause for his little stunt.

"Now, Ms. Rouge, this is your directorial debut, what was it like working with such a weird concept?" Another reporter questioned.

"It was a challenge at first, but it was enjoyable working with Sonic here and I think the final product is just a fantastic work of art and I'm glad I got to have this experience." Rouge tells them.

"Question for both of you, what's next for you two in terms of other projects?" Another reporter asks.

"Well, I actually have a contract with Sega to direct two more projects in the works as we speak." Rouge says.

"I really don't know, probably find a job or something." Sonic answered honestly.

The crowd laughed at his response, Sonic raising an eyebrow in confusion.

The next moment, the doors opened, letting in an audience excited with anticipation.

They took their seats and as the lights dimmed and the Sega logo appeared, it almost felt unreal.

Sonic, Rouge, Ken and the execs were viewing the movie from a different area to get the audiences reaction.

Each of them had the same thought on their minds.

 _"Please love it."_

The opening scene had begun, opening on, of course, Sonic running through Green Hill.

The audience was in a state of intermediate, not hating it, but not loving it either.

The first few minutes passed, Sonic crushing enemies on screen, nothing special to them.

But that all changed within the next minute.

As Sonic continued to run, he encountered a loop, boosting further he quickly traversed it, with another one coming up, the camera turned to see Sonic's point of you.

As soon as he reached the loop, the audience gasped from the immersion, almost as if being on a roller coaster.

After a few more scenes, the audience applauded with entrance of Robotnik, as he flew in on his pod, a wrecking ball ready to swing at Sonic.

Sonic quickly dodged it, leaping onto the pod as he curled into a ball damaging it, the audience cheering with each strike.

Looking down at the crowd Sonic smiled, he was proud he could make all these people excited.

The rest of them just patted each other on the back and rose a toast in their honor.

They knew from that moment on, they had a hit.


	4. When In Doubt, Make A Sequel

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

Sonic's debut into the world of media became a smash hit, making millions upon millions.

Sega had broken records, thanks to Sonic's success, now they were truly a major threat to the competition and were a proven force not to be reckoned with.

So, what do you do when you have with a hit on your hands? Easy, you make a sequel.

Sonic had been called into the headquarters of Sega.

 _"I wonder what this is about." He thought to himself._

Sonic walked in, being greeted by Ken and the Sega execs.

"Hey, there he is, the hedgehog of the hour, hey everyone, to Sonic The Hedgehog." Ken says, smiling as he raised his glass.

"To Sonic!" Everyone said, raising there glasses and taking a drink.

"Here you go buddy, enjoy it, you've got a busy schedule starting next week." Ken says, handing him a drink.

"What do you mean, what happens next week?" Sonic asks.

Ken just laughs as if Sonic were joking.

"Come on kid, you didn't think you were done, did you?" Ken says.

"We start work on Sonic 2 starting next week." Ken tells him.

Sonic looks at him as if he were crazy.

"But, the first one came out just a couple months ago, doesn't that seem a little fast?" Sonic asked, ironically.

"Look, we had a huge hit, but the fight ain't over, we still gotta prove we're not just a a one hit wonder, we got a sequel planned for late November of next year, we got a huge marketing campaign ready, not to mention you're gonna be busier than ever, interviews, guest appearances, magazine shoots, the works." Ken informed him.

Sonic fought hard to keep his cool, the world feeling like it was spinning.

He had thought it was all too much before, he had no idea.

He forced a smile as people walked up and congratulated him, just trying to get through the rest of the day.

* * *

 **The Next Week.**

Sonic had arrived on set, wondering what this sequel would really be.

He had received no script and no indication on what the story would be.

Ken was standing by the director's chair, awaiting Sonic.

"There you are, you ready?" Ken asks.

"Yeah, I think so." Sonic says.

He was still a little nervous, but thanks to his experience on the first one, he was more prepared and aware of what was to come.

"Great, come on, I got a couple of people I need to introduce you to." Ken said.

A minute later, Ken had come back with two people beside him.

"Sonic, this is our director, Vector The Crocodile." Ken introduces.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Hedgehog, I look forward to working with you." Vector says, shaking Sonic's hand.

"You can just call me Sonic and we've sort of met before." Sonic said.

"Have we?" Vector asked.

"Back when I auditioned for the role, I met Mighty, he told me all about you guys and how you lived out in the slums." Sonic told him.

"Not for long, I managed to land this director gig, once the money starts rolling in, I'll be able to move everyone out here." Vector said.

Sonic nodded, happy that they had finally gotten the break they needed.

Sonic turned to look at the other individual, a fox looking away from them, obviously shy and nervous.

"Wait, I remember you, you were one of the casting people." Sonic pointed out.

"Y-Yeah." The fox stuttered.

"Every hero needs a sidekick and Miles here fit the bill perfectly, good luck you three, make us proud." Ken said, walking out of the set.

"So, Miles is it?" Sonic asked.

"You can just call me Tails." Tails said.

"Well then gentlemen, let's get started." Vector said.

So it began, filming had commenced.

Sonic and Tails instantly were in sync on screen.

Tails had been nervous at first, similar to how Sonic was when he started, but with their support, Tails had pulled through quickly.

In the coming months, Sonic's star had continued to rise, hype building up for the appropriately dubbed, Sonic 2's day.

Sonic cringed at the play on words every time he heard them, but he adored the fans and their excitement for what they had accomplished.

Sonic and Tails were being driven in a limousine on their way to the studio, when the vehicle was mobbed by fans, blocking it from moving, pressing up against the windows with signs or just trying to look in.

The fans screamed as they swarmed the limo, some were being trampled just to get through, others broke down crying with pure joy, not even knowing how to process their emotions.

"Is it always like this?" Tails asked in disbelief at what was happening around him.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Sonic said with a smirk.

The final day of shooting had come in late August, Sonic and Tails being ready to take a nice break from filming.

"So, what are you gonna do with your time off?" Sonic asked Tails.

"I think I'm gonna just take the plane out to the coast and relax on the beach." Tails said.

"How about you?" Tails asks.

"Probably head back home and visit my family, I haven't seen them in over two years, I'm definitely overdue for a visit." Sonic said with a chuckle.

Arriving on set, Vector turned looking at them nervously.

"Hey, Vector, what's wrong?" Sonic asked.

"It's the studio, they told me they wanted a big fight to finish it out." Vector said.

"So, what's wrong with that?" Tails asked.

"They want Sonic to go Super Sonic." Vector said.

"So, we had that happen a little while ago, it won't be a problem." Sonic said.

"There's one more thing, you have to fight a giant robot." Vector said, wincing.

Sonic just shrugged it off with a smirk on his face.

"I fought robots in this before, I'll be fine." Sonic said smugly.

Vector just stood there, giving him an unimpressed look as he pulled out a small device with one big red button.

Upon pressing it, the lights on stage turned on, revealing a gigantic ominous shape in the background.

The ground shook as it took steps forward, coming closer and closer into the light, revealing itself in all its glory.

The Death Egg Robot.

Tails jaw dropped, Sonic could only stand there, paralyzed.

The two of them looked up with only one thought on their minds.

 _"Oh."._


	5. Help From A Friend

**Hello everyone, welcome back to Beyond The Blur. I didn't think I'd be updating, this quick, but I have so many ideas for this story, I couldn't wait to get them out there. Also, thank you to Lilac Rabbit for your review, I really appreciate it. I hope you all enjoy.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **November 24th 1992.**

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 premiered to rave reviews and loved by audiences.

Instantly the hype spread, it was something everyone had to see.

Sega had proven once again, they meant business.

 _"We're gonna be rolling in money." Ken thought._

Exiting the theater, Ken approached Sonic, who was bidding Tails goodbye.

Sonic began to head for his car, only to be stopped by Ken.

"Hey, there's my star, Sonic 2 is already a smash, man!" Ken exclaimed.

"Yeah." Sonic said, yawning.

"Tired, kid?" Ken asked.

"Yeah." Sonic answered simply.

"Yeah, well rest up, you've got a busy day tomorrow, you ain't gonna be sleeping for awhile." Ken told him.

"Wait, what?!" Sonic exclaimed in confusion.

"You've got a side project to work on, fifteen interviews over the next week, voice recording for your new cartoon shows." Ken listed off.

"Ken, I can't do this, I need a break, I haven't seen my family in almost three years, I promised I'd make it out there, spend the holidays with them, ya know?" Sonic told him.

"Sorry kid, you don't got the time, take a look at your contract." Ken said, pulling out the slip of paper.

Sonic looked closely, mentally reading the fine print.

 _"The undersigned shall appear in all projects, appearances and other engagements he or she is presented with."_

 _"If the undersigned fails to do so, the only exceptions being illness or injury, termination of contract will be executed and the undersigned will have legal action taken against him."_

"In other words, we own you and if you don't wanna get sued, you'll do as we say, got it?" Ken said, his tone growing more annoyed.

Sonic just looked at him in disgust and disbelief.

It was inMobian to force this upon someone.

"Got it." Sonic mumbled.

Ken nodded and walked away.

Sonic just hung his head in shame, walking over to a pay phone, to deliver the bad news.

He heard the ring and sure enough, his mother picked up.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hey mom, it's me." Sonic said.

"Sonic, so good to hear from you, everyone in town has been talking about you non stop, how've you been?" She asked.

"It's been interesting, listen…I can't make it out there." Sonic said in disappointment.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"They've got me under contract, I'm basically stuck out here for another year." Sonic said.

"Oh." Was all he heard.

"I'm sorry." He told her.

"It's alright, maybe next year." His mother said, clearly saddened.

"I'm sorry, I promise I'll make it up to-" He said before being interrupted.

"Please deposit 25 cents to continue this call." The machine said.

Sonic sighed, growing angry from the acts they were pulling on him.

He hit the phone against the machine repeatedly in frustration.

He hung up the phone, slowly falling down to his knees as he held his head in his hands, letting the stress get to him.

He cried out in frustration, the tears falling into the snow below him, while the falling snow landed on him.

He just sat there that night, repeating the words over and over again.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

 **December 31st 1992.**

Sega held a New Years Eve party to ring in 1993 with a bang.

Sonic was of course, mandated to appear.

He walked his way across the halls, looking for some place to finally rest.

He had been filming for SegaSonic The Hedgehog, a spinoff starring himself, Mighty and newcomer Ray.

Sonic fell back against a wall, slowly sliding down, resting his head against it in the hallway.

Sonic wished the next year would never come.

With him filming SegaSonic, then Sonic CD and another spinoff, Sonic Chaos at the same time, throw on Sonic 3 and it's follow up back to back starting in the summer and he was a catastrophe waiting to happen.

"Finally found you." Someone said.

Sonic turned to see Rouge.

"Hey, good to see you again." Sonic said, his voice growing more quiet.

"You've seen better days." She pointed out.

"Yeah." Sonic said.

"Here, drink this, then clean yourself up, I've got a surprise for you." Rouge said, handing him a bottle of water.

Sonic took a big drink before heading to the bathroom to wash his face and wake himself up.

 _"I wonder what the surprise is." Sonic thought._

Exiting the bathroom, Sonic headed back to the party, Rouge pulling him aside.

"Hey, so what's this surprise?" Sonic asked.

Rouge moved aside, revealing someone stood behind her.

Sonic stared in shock at who it was standing there, an all too familiar pink hedgehog.

"Amy?" Sonic said, still surprised.

"It's been a long time." She says, pulling him into a hug.

"Yeah, wait…what're you doing here?" Sonic asked.

"Well, after I moved I started acting in stage plays, I've loved acting for so long and I really wanted to break out." She started explaining.

"I heard around that this new big star was getting a lot of buzz, I didn't realize it was you and I see you kept the shoes I gave you." Amy says with endearment.

"Rouge went to see one of my shows the other night, she mentioned I was an inspiration for you and asked if I wanted a role in your next movie and you can figure out the rest." Amy said with a giggle.

"It's good to see you again Ames." Sonic said with a smile.

The two stood there, staring into each other's eyes, not looking away for even a moment.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone to catch up, I'll see you two on set." Rouge tells them.

Sonic and Amy took a seat on a couch, just to chat and reminisce.

"So, besides acting, what else have you been up to?" Sonic asked.

"Not much, I worked with my friend Cream at her flower shop to make a little more cash, I managed to save up a fair amount, but not enough for a decent place to stay." Amy mentioned.

Sonic looked at her in sympathy, when he had started out, he just slept at the studio since he had nowhere to go.

With his success, he was able to purchase his own house, it was nothing special, but to him it was paradise, a safe haven since he barely ever stood foot in it, thanks to his endless work hours.

That's when the idea hit him.

"You know, I've got a place out here now, but I'm barely around it anyway, if you want, you could stay there for awhile." Sonic suggested.

Amy looked at him, a little surprised at what he had just asked her, but the more she thought about it, the more right it seemed.

"I'd love to." She blurted out.

They looked at each other with smiles on their faces, only now noticing everyone counting down.

 **10…9…8…7…6...5…4…**

Amy looked at Sonic, a both nervous and wonderful feeling taking over.

 _"Go for it." Amy thought._

 **3…2…1…Happy New Year!**

Everyone screamed in joy, blowing on noise makers as the confetti came down.

Sonic grinned from everyone's enjoyment, only to have Amy wrap her arms around him.

"Amy?" He managed to say before being stopped.

Amy quickly pulled him closer, locking her lips with his.

Sonic couldn't believe it, he had always had feelings for her, but he was never sure, but now, in that one moment, everything had changed.

 _"Maybe the new year won't be so bad."_


	6. Love And Fame

**Welcome back everyone. I can't resist writing more of the drama and I hope everyone is enjoying it so far. Once again, a special thank you to Lilac Rabbit for reviewing and without further ado, let us continue.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Mario, Mario is property of Nintendo._

* * *

 **June 1993.**

In the six months that passed, Sonic's schedule grew even more grueling.

Thankfully, for the moment, all focus in the studio was set on Sonic 3 and it's sequel.

Thanks to this, Sonic finally had a few hours of free time, granted it was spent mostly sleeping.

The rest of his free time was spent with Amy.

He was thankful every day for Amy being there for him.

Originally he had thought her moving in would have been awkward, but to the contrary, she was an amazing person to live with and they got along surprisingly well.

Sonic and Amy were sitting on the couch when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Amy said after picking it up.

"It's for you." Amy said with a sigh.

"Hello?" Sonic answered.

"Alright, I'll be right there." Sonic said, hanging up the phone.

"Work." Amy said, sounding disappointed.

"Yeah, they said they had some new announcements, they want me there for the big news." Sonic said.

Sonic kissed her on the cheek and headed out.

* * *

 **Sega Studios.**

Sonic walked on set, only to find no crew or director.

"Hey, just the guy I wanted to see, come on, everyone's waiting." Ken said, guiding him to another room.

There, it had started, the mob of press instantly jumping at the chance to interview Sonic.

Ken approached the podium, Sonic following him.

"Settle down, settle down." Ken told them, instantly quieting the crowd.

"First of all, many rumors have been flying around and I can tell you right now, that they are true, we have officially made a deal to have a Sonic balloon featured in this years Thanksgiving parade in Station Square.

The press quickly noted it in their reports.

"Ladies and gentleman, many of you have been searching for info on Mr. Hedgehog for almost two years now, well, the wait is over, we hold this press conference to shed light on his life, people, I give you, Sonic The Hedgehog.

The press applauded as Sonic approached the podium, speaking into the microphone.

"H-hi everyone." Sonic stuttered.

Awkward silence filled the room for a moment before Sonic spoke up.

"Um…any questions?" Sonic asked.

Instantly the press clamored at his question, all focus set on him.

Sonic randomly picked a woman holding a notepad.

"Yes, tell me, is there any bad blood between you and the Mario or is that just the company at work?" She asked.

"I've actually never met the guy but I'm sure he's really cool." Sonic said truthfully.

Ken sighed at Sonic's honesty.

Sonic then picked a guy holding a microphone.

"Mr. Hedgehog, is it true that you are now living with your co-star, Miss Amy Rose?" The reporter asked.

"Yep, she moved in before we started filming." Sonic answered again.

Ken groaned as he held his head in his hands.

From there the press asked question after question and of course Sonic answered every question truthfully, unknowingly making Ken angry.

Finally, Ken stepped in.

"Thank you for coming everyone, that will be all for today." Ken said as he rushed Sonic off the stage.

When they got back to the studio, Ken slapped Sonic across the face and proceeded to berate him.

"What were you thinking!" Ken shouted.

"What, what did I do?" Sonic asked, placing his hand against his cheek from the pain.

"I brought you out there to give the people what they want, not whatever you pulled." Ken insulted him.

"I just told them the truth, what's wrong with that?" Sonic asked.

"Everything, we are building up an image, you're supposed to be the edgy, cool guy, the guy who kicks Mario to the curb, after that interview, you're gonna lose your rep." Ken told him.

"Look, I'm sorry if I ruined your whole marketing thing, but like I said, I never met the guy, I'm not gonna insult him." Sonic said.

"If that isn't bad enough, what's this about Amy?" Ken asked.

"She needed a place to-." Sonic started but was interrupted by Ken.

"Get rid of her, tell her to move out." Ken told him.

"Ken, I can't do that, she's my friend and she has nowhere to go." Sonic told him, his voice growing more stern.

"I'm your manager and that chick is gonna ruin your image, if she doesn't ruin your bank account first." Ken said.

"Ken, not gonna happen, so drop it now!" Sonic shouted.

"You think she actually likes you, news flash kid, she's nothing but a greedy bi-." Ken started, being interrupted.

Sonic had punched him right in the jaw.

 **"Don't ever say that about her, ever!"** Sonic said with all the rage he had inside.

Sonic walked away, running back home to Amy.

Amy looked at him, noticing the glare on his face, left over from his encounter with Ken.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked.

Sonic calmed down, holding her in his arms.

"Yeah, I'll be alright." He whispered.

* * *

 **November 19th 1993: Premiere Of Sonic CD.**

Sonic and Amy sat next to each other in the limo, Amy snuggling up next to him, a little anxious.

"Was your first time on the red carpet this nerve racking?" Amy asked him.

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'll be there for you." Sonic assured her.

Amy tried to hide her blush as the doors opened.

Time seemed to slow down as they walked out, everyone looking their way, trying to get photos of the two.

"Hey, is it true you two are dating?!" Someone called out.

Instantly, everyone started asking the same question.

The tabloids had been trying to pin down the state of their relationship for months, but no one knew anything about them.

They were constantly seen together whenever they went out, almost like they were inseparable, to the point where even if they weren't a couple, everyone thought they should be.

"Come on, we've been waiting so long, we deserve to know!" Someone shouted.

Suddenly the the questions turned to demands as everyone chanted the same two words over and over again.

"Tell us! Tell us!" They chanted.

Sonic leaned in close to Amy.

"I'd hate to keep them waiting any longer, should we go public?" Sonic asked in a whisper.

Amy remained silent for a moment, before giving her answer.

"Yes." She said.

Sonic smirked, whistling to quiet the crowd.

"You guys wanna know the truth, well here it is." Sonic said.

He pulled Amy close, leaning in until their lips met.

Everyone cheered, taking photos of the moment that would be seen around the world.

* * *

 **November 25th 1993.**

Thanksgiving day, a time of celebration in Station Square as they held their parade every year.

Performances, entertainment and of course, the giant balloons and floats.

Sonic and Amy stood inside a viewing area, watching the balloons go by.

"I wonder when you're gonna show up." Amy said.

"Don't know, but I'm glad everyone's enjoying it, I've always seen the parade on tv, but I never thought I'd be watching it in person." Sonic said in amazement of the festivities.

"You were eighth in the lineup, so it should be here soon." Ken said.

Sonic nodded while Amy just looked at him with disgust.

Sonic had told her what Ken had implied about her.

She had never been so insulted in her life, he didn't even know her and he had the nerve to judge her.

"Hey, there it is." Sonic said.

Everyone watched as the giant Sonic balloon appeared, gracing the people with its smile.

"It looks amazing." Amy said.

For the moment everyone seemed so happy…oh how things can change so fast.

As everyone celebrated, a distant scream was heard.

Looking down from the window, they witnessed what chaos had occurred.

The Sonic balloon collapsed on the ground, deflated from damage.

Earlier as it floated down the street, it had hit a lamppost, effectively tearing into the balloon and knocking the lamppost over, causing it to injure a child and an off duty officer.

The ambulances immediately rushed to the scene, to help the poor individuals.

Everyone in the viewing area chose to remain quiet for the time being.

Sonic hung his head in shame, despite not having caused it, he still felt responsible for the damage.

Little did anyone know, this would be an omen for what was to come.


	7. Loss

**Hello everyone, hope you've been enjoying so far and I hope to continue to entertain.**

 **Now, to answer some reviews.**

 **Lilac Rabbit: I'm really glad you're enjoying the story. Yeah, I thought the balloon incident would be perfect for the tone I'm going for and I wanted to get the details right.**

 **Malik A: Neither can I. I already have a few ideas for the chapters in mind.**

 **Thank you all so much.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **December 23rd 1993.**

The holidays had come around once again, everyone in the studio, cheerful with excitement and joy.

Sonic, Tails and their new friend Knuckles were chatting away over coffee.

"So, whatcha got planned for the holidays Knuckles?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, I heard the rest of the guys are throwing a party." Tails said.

"Yeah, Vector just got his director's check, he's buying a huge house and we're all finally moving out of the slums." Knuckles told them.

"Congrats man, and hey, just in time, the press has been having a field day with you guys." Sonic pointed out.

It was true, the five of them had wild escapades around the city.

Joyriding, trashing the rooms they stayed in and Mighty had a weakness for the girls.

"Yeah, the tabloids even gave us a nickname, they said we've been acting chaotic, so they're calling us the Chaotix." Knuckles told them.

"Yeah, like that name's ever gonna stick." Sonic said.

"Trust me, Vector's trying to make it so it does, he's been talking to the execs about making a Chaotix movie, full ensemble cast and everything." Knuckles says.

"Sounds like fun, so when's the party?" Tails asks.

"Woah, Tails, didn't take you for the party type." Sonic said.

"I'm not really, but I need to get out more, I've been staying up studying for too long." Tails said.

"You'll have to ask Vector, I've got a date for my break." Knuckles says with a smirk.

"Yeah, rumor has it you and Rouge are a thing now." Sonic said, patting him on the back.

"Guilty as charged." Knuckles said.

"Well, have fun you guys." Sonic said.

"What about you?" Tails asked.

"I'm finally going home, I haven't seen my family in almost four years, I'm long overdue for a visit." Sonic told them before walking out of the room.

As Sonic walked through the halls, on his way out, of course, Ken showed up.

"Hey, buddy, I've got your schedule right here, you'll be flying out in a few hours." Ken says, handing him the notes.

Sonic took them, reading them over, giving Ken an unamused look as he saw the dates.

"Ken, this says I'm working through the holidays again." Sonic said.

"Yeah, after that whole balloon thing last month we gotta work harder to boost your image." Ken told him.

"Ken, I'm already on the cover of every magazine, I'm in dozens of commercials, I'm slapped on the cover of fast food promotions, grocery stores, my own cartoons, comics and everything else under the sun, what more do you want from me?!" Sonic started to get worked up.

"Easy kid, remember your contract, you have no say in the matter." Ken pointed out with a sneer.

"You know what, forget it, I don't care what you guys do to me, but you're not gonna keep me from seeing my family anymore!" Sonic exclaimed, storming out of the studio.

"Hey, get back here, you think you can just walk out?!" Ken shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You got another thing coming buddy!" Ken threatened.

As soon as he was gone Ken immediately went from angry to nervous.

 _"What am I gonna tell the board?" He thought, hitting his head against the wall._

"Trouble with our star?" An exec asked.

Ken looked at him, a feeling of nausea overtaking him.

"Yeah." He said.

"Well, I knew he'd get fed up sooner or later." The exec said.

"What are we gonna do?" Ken asked, panicked.

"Cancel the gigs, simple as that." The exec told him.

"Are you kidding me, you're just gonna let him get away with it?" Ken asked in disbelief.

"We get away with nothing, we've kept him here for almost four years almost against his will, he deserves a rest, it's the least we could do, seeing as he saved all of us from being out of the job, including you." The exec explains, pointing his cane against Ken's chest.

Ken just gritted his teeth in anger and walked away.

* * *

 **Sonic's Hometown.**

It was almost like a dream to him, he just couldn't believe it.

The wide open fields, the small quiet neighborhood and the little theatre that started it all.

Sonic was home.

Sonic inhaled slowly, taking in the fresh air as if it was a breath of new life.

He parked his car outside his old house, smiling as he looked around.

" _Hasn't changed one bit." Sonic thought happily._

Sonic walked up to the porch, knocking on the front door to await an answer.

The door creaked as it slowly opened, to reveal his mother on the other side.

"Sonic?" She said in surprise.

"Hey mom." He said.

Bernadette instantly broke in to tears, hugging Sonic.

"It's good to see you too." Sonic said, humorously.

"We've missed you so much." She said through the sobs.

"I've missed you both too." Sonic told her.

"Come in, your father will be home soon, he'll be so happy to see you." She said.

Sonic stepped in, almost fainting from the sight.

All the memories came back to him, but it all seemed so distant, he was here not so long ago and yet it felt different.

"We kept your room, the way it was when you left." His mom told him.

Sonic headed to his room, jumping onto the bed as he used to.

The room seemed so much smaller than it used to, but he still loved it.

Sonic walked back out to the living room, seeing his mom looking at a picture of the three of them.

"It seems like forever ago." Bernadette said.

"Yeah, time flies." Sonic said.

"Alright, enough about the past, let's talk about now, I hear the major movie star has a girlfriend now." Bernadette told him.

Sonic just chuckled at her reaction.

"Yeah, it's my friend Amy, you remember her?" Sonic asked.

"Oh yeah, I always liked her, and apparently you did too." His mom joked.

Sonic faked a laugh.

"Still, never forget, when you love someone, always put them first and care for them like they mean the world to you." His mother advised him.

Sonic smiled, taking her advice to heart.

"I will." Sonic tells her.

"Good, well I better…" His mother trails off, as her eyes start to shut, passing out.

Sonic catches her just in time before she hits the floor.

He carries her to the couch and set her down.

A few hours later, Sonic's father had returned home, welcoming his son back and waking up Bernadette.

"Hi honey, how was your day?" She asks Jules.

"Just fine, Sonic went out for some groceries." Jules tells her.

Bernadette lays there, smiling as her husband comforts her.

"You should tell him." Jules says to her.

"I know, but we can't, it's better this way." Bernadette says softly.

Sure enough Sonic returns and goes into the kitchen, preparing their meal.

That night, the three of them sat to dinner, laughing, catching up and sharing in the happiness they hold.

After the new year had started, Sonic knew he had to go back to work, not knowing when he would get the chance to see them again.

As Sonic stepped out the door, his mother hugged him one last time.

"I love you." She whispered.

Sonic couldn't help but cry a little as he had to bid goodbye to his family once again.

* * *

F **ebruary 2nd 1994.**

This was it, the biggest premiere to date.

Today, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 would be released to the public.

It promised to be bigger and better than its predecessors and to many, it would deliver.

As Sonic 3 was bound to be a hit, the studio had thrown another party, this time welcoming the public to attend the large gathering.

They had set up a karaoke booth, which instantly attracted everyone's attention.

While there were some surprises like Tails amazing the crowd with his ballad work and Knuckles commanding the stage with his rapping, the rest just ranged from okay to cringe worthy.

It seemed like everyone was just having a great time.

"So, when are you gonna get up on stage?" Amy asked.

"Never, I may be good at acting, but my vocals are awful." Sonic said with a chuckle.

Suddenly, Sonic felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Yes?" Sonic asked.

"Mr. Hedgehog, there's a phone call for you." An intern told him.

Sonic followed him to the phone, picking it up to hear his dads voice on the line.

"Hey, dad, what's up." Sonic said, happy to hear from him.

That's when everything seemed to stop to him.

As his dad spoke through the phone, everything around him started to spin and stop over and over.

He began to feel sick inside, dropping the phone and falling to the floor, unable to comprehend both physically and mentally what had happened.

His mother had passed away.


	8. Tabloids

**Well, this is it. How will Sonic cope? How long will he be able to keep his head above water? Let's find out.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **February 9th 1994.**

The day his mother passed away, had been the hardest of their lives.

Jules had known it was inevitable, but Sonic didn't have clue.

Sonic tried all he could to reason with what had happened.

One second denying it and the other going crazy over it.

 _"She was okay, I just saw her, she was okay." He thought repeatedly._

"Sonic." Jules said.

Sonic looked up, eyes still bloodshot, surrounded by dark circles due to lack of sleep.

"It's time." Jules told him, then walked away.

Sonic stood up, slowly making his way downstairs and out the door.

Out in the fields, stood his family members, some people from town, his father Jules, his mother's friend Aleena and Amy.

As Sonic arrived, they lowered the coffin into the ground.

A kid stepped forward, an orphan by the name of Silver, started to play a slow melody on his violin as she was laid to rest.

Silver looked at Sonic with sympathy, as if to say he was deeply sorry.

It seemed as though there was a sense of peace, as if she were still with them, standing beside them as always, comforting them, saying how everything was going to be alright and to always look forward to tomorrow.

In that moment, everything seemed fine.

But as if to knock them down again, it didn't last.

A helicopter arrived, flying overhead, blowing gusts of winds at everyone as it landed.

Vans by the dozens started arriving at the scene, reporters and camera people rushing out towards the funeral.

At contact range, the reporters mobbed everyone with questions, most of all, Sonic.

"Mr. Hedgehog, how do you think this will effect your performances in the future?" One asked.

"Mr. Hedgehog, is it true that your mother did not approve of your relationship with Amy Rose?" Another asked.

"Mr. Hedgehog, we have reports that you refused to visit her for almost four years, are you glad that she's gone?" One more asked.

Upon hearing that, Sonic dug his fingers against his scalp, growing more enraged than he had ever been before.

"How dare you." He whispered, still loud enough to where people can hear.

At that moment, he snapped.

He lunged at the reporters, smashing the cameras to pieces and smashing them all into the ground by force.

Sonic growled, running off into the field, away from the horrid beings he couldn't even classify as Mobians.

He used to think no Mobian could be that cruel, but they had proven him wrong by miles.

His own mother had just passed away, yet still, they held no decency whatsoever.

They crashed her funeral, disrespecting and slandering her.

Tears built up in Sonic's eyes, screaming out in frustration at what they had done.

They had tarnished her, all in pursuit of questions that didn't even concern her.

Only lies and questions about his career.

None of it mattered to them, they didn't care how he felt, whether or not they cause pain to others, they only cared for themselves and getting their story for a paycheck.

Sonic fell to his side, feelings of illness and frustration taking over.

" _I can't take much more of this." He thought._

 _"I have to stop it."_

* * *

 **October 18th 1994.**

The day after Sonic's outburst, the tabloids went wild.

More focus was put on Sonic than ever.

While Ken tried to use this to get Sonic fired, the execs couldn't be happier with Sonic's decision, saying it added to his edgy image.

To them any publicity was good publicity.

In the months that followed, Sonic became more reclusive, no longer talking to any press or fans.

He was escorted to work by bodyguards every day, simply going straight from work to home and vice versa every time.

With this new feeling of a less carefree Sonic looming over the new movie Sonic & Knuckles, the hype seemed to be not at full for the viewers.

At the premiere, people seemed to like it, but their excitement and enjoyment seemed to be on a lower scale than their reaction to their last efforts.

Sonic sat at the bar, trying to stay away from everyone else.

In the distance, he heard Ken talk up Knuckles and Tails to the press.

Knuckles was set with the Chaotix for their first film in six months, Tails' first miniseries airing about a week later.

He felt happy for them, that they would find success on their own, especially with the way things were going.

Sonic grabbed his drink, downing it in seconds, trying to numb the pain he felt inside.

He was living the dream his mother had hoped for him, but not the way anyone should.


	9. Shameful Antics

**It's time. Sonic has reached the first real big speed bump in his life. He's already cracking under the pressure. What will happen next? Let's find out.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **April 19th 1995.**

To the world, it seemed like Sonic The Hedgehog could do no wrong.

But behind the scenes, it was a different story.

Sonic once again had a full schedule, once again causing a lack of sleep.

Due to Knuckles and Tails working on their solo careers and Amy acting on stage in Station Square, Sonic for the first time in four years, was going it alone.

He would show up on set obviously impaired, taking drinks between shoots for scenes.

Considering the material he was working with, that may have been for the better.

While Sonic was still huge in the public eye, they wanted to expand the ideas even further, resulting in more gimmicky projects being released.

He was filming for a special airing that November, called Sonic Labyrinth, a special where Dr. Robotnik would take away the very thing that defined Sonic, his speed.

Sonic had brought this up with the board, arguing with them, saying it was one of the dumbest ideas he had ever heard.

Soon enough, after its release, everyone who saw it would agree.

Sonic Labyrinth would be his worst project ever.

If that weren't bad enough, his next two theatrical releases, reeked of desperation.

Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic X-Treme.

Both were being heavily hyped by Sega as Sonic's big comeback.

They had been banking on the success of 3D Blast and X-Treme, to finally take down the competition for good.

They were so confident in this move, they made the decision to release them only a month apart from each other.

With two big movies to do at once, Sonic was barely functioning.

On the set of X-Treme, Sonic was passed out in his chair, his odor disgusting everyone around him due to his excessive vices and lack of showering.

Ken stormed onto the set, more furious than ever.

He pushed Sonic's chair, knocking him over onto the floor.

Sonic rolled around, struggling to get back into his feet.

Ken picked him up and threw him against a wall.

 **"You aren't gonna waste our money just cause you can't handle a little pressure, I won't allow it!" Ken screamed.**

The crew just watched in shock and intimidation at what Ken was doing.

"You got Knuckle's big premiere party tonight, clean yourself up." Ken said with contempt, throwing a towel at Sonic then walking away.

Sonic sat there in pain for a few moments, thinking everything over in his head.

He needed a wake up call and he needed it fast.

* * *

 **Later That Night.**

Sonic had returned home, shutting the door behind him and pressed the answering machine.

"You have one new message." It said.

The beep came and the voice on the other line came through.

"Sonic, it's your father." He started.

Sonic cringed upon hearing him and immediately deleted the message.

His feelings had turned sour towards him for what his father had done.

It wasn't even a year after his mother had passed away that his father had moved on, dating and eventually marrying her own friend, Aleena.

Sonic felt his own father didn't even care that she was gone and to add insult to injury, Aleena had a baby on the way.

Sonic stumbled into the bathroom, turning on the shower, he slipped in and out of consciousness as the water poured down.

When he fully awoke, Sonic turned off the water and slowly walked out, looking at the clock.

 _"I'm late!" He thought, panicking._

Sonic rushed into his room, quickly slipping into his tuxedo and running at full speed to the party.

He had made it just before the doors had closed, thankfully, hardly anyone had noticed.

Everyone seemed to be there, even Tails had managed to show up.

"Hey buddy, how've you been?" Sonic asked.

"Been doing great, Skypatrol is coming out next week, plus I met this girl named Mina who did the soundtrack, she's so cool." Tails told him.

"Well, sounds like someone's enjoying the good life." Sonic said, patting him on the back.

"Yeah, hey look, there's Ray, haven't seen him in awhile." Tails said.

"Yeah, after SegaSonic, he said the film life was too much for him so he stepped away, I actually hear he's a screenwriter now." Sonic said.

"No kidding?" Tails said.

"Yeah, hey I gotta go, Ken wanted me to meet with him and the others upstairs." Sonic tells him.

"Okay, I'll see you around." Tails said.

Sonic headed upstairs, walking down the hall, he saw the room he was supposed to meet the executives in, the door slightly open.

Sonic noticed they were already talking.

"He's a liability!" He recognized Ken shouting.

"He's our only money maker, Ken." One exec told him.

"X-Treme is going way over budget and way passed schedule!" Ken countered.

"While that may be true, the hedgehog has brought in billions for this company." Another exec said.

"We can find a new frontman, one who won't be a waste of time, I've already got some candidates for the role." Ken told them.

"What, you mean that weird Bug guy or that purple flying jester?" One of them joked.

"That jester guy calls himself a Nightmaren, I don't know what that means, maybe he's a method actor, but at least he'd be more suitable for us." Ken tried to get his point across.

"Let's face it, Sonic's losing his appeal anyway, pretty soon, no one is even gonna remember his name." Ken said.

The board members all looked at each other, some of them with looks of doubt and others with looks of sadness.

"We'll consider it depending on how all the new movies fare." The exec informed him.

"That's all I ask, thank you gentleman." Ken said with a smirk.

Opening up the door, Ken flinched as he saw Sonic, glaring at him.

"Sonic, buddy, w-what's up?" Ken stuttered.

Sonic held back from acting out, instead storming off down the hall, grabbing a drink from one of the trays a waiter held.

Sonic downed it in a second, then grabbed another.

For the next hour, Sonic would blend in at the party, taking drink after drink.

Finally, towards the end of the party, the next act that he would do, would set the course for what was to come.

As Knuckles got up to the stage, he raised his glass in a toast.

"I just wanted to thank everyone for making this possible." He started.

"To Vector creating the vision, to Espio, Mighty and Charmy for always being there when I needed them most and most of all, to my loving girlfriend Rouge, for always believing in me and helping everyone here to live out our dreams, thank you all so much." Knuckles said.

Everyone applauded and took their drinks.

Sonic had reached his twentieth by the time of toast, causing him to finally let loose.

Sonic clapped loudly and quickly when it became quieter, grabbing everyone's attention.

Using this to his advantage, Sonic rushed onto the stage, grabbing the microphone, slurring his words as he spoke.

"What a bunch of…" He trailed off, falling off the stage onto the floor.

He stumbled back up, talking once more.

"You think you're so great, you're all nothing without me!" Sonic shouted, gesturing around to everyone.

"You're all famous because I put you on the map, my movie made all of this possible!" He continued on, some of them starting to glare at him.

"So, mister big shot thinks he can take the it all away and cut me out!" He shouted, pointing right at Ken.

"Well, you've got another thing coming pal!" Sonic said, pushing Ken into the table, knocking the food over onto everyone around and shattering the ice sculpture.

Ken tried fighting back but Sonic hit him so hard it knocked him out.

Fortunately, Sonic would get a taste of his own medicine.

As soon as Sonic turned around, Knuckles punched him square in the head, knocking him unconscious.

"Security!" Rouge shouted.

Security showed up to the scene, dragging Sonic out of the theater by his feet, then throwing him out onto the sidewalk.

Sonic would lay there till morning.

When he would wake up, he would realize the full magnitude of what he had done.

* * *

 **Hey everyone, sorry if these few chapters are bumming anyone out, but, the mid to late 90's were a tough time for Sonic so this seemed to make the most sense. Don't worry, things will pick up soon. I just wanna thank everyone for the support once more and as always, have an awesome day.**


	10. Poison

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **July 10th 1996.**

The atmosphere was cold and unwelcoming, the ones participating seemed to share those feelings at the moment.

As Sonic stumbled his way on to the set of his new special, Sonic The Fighters, he was met with glares from a few.

After his downward spiral a little over a year ago, he had become even harder to work with, and of course the tabloids were having a field day with it all.

Countless lies were being printed and reported daily on the blue hedgehog and his co-stars.

The once admired hedgehog had now become a sleazy has been.

They showed no mercy as they reported all these statements, whether they be true or not, as long as it sold.

The headlines had stuck with Sonic over the time, constantly disturbing him at how outlandish they sounded to him.

 _"Sonic The Hedgehog cheats on Amy Rose with voice actress, Sally Acorn."_

 _"Sonic The Hedgehog destroys car in intense chase."_

 _"Sonic The Hedgehog sends former co-star, Knuckles The Echidna to the hospital."_

This was getting ridiculous.

Though with that last one, it wasn't that out there that Sonic and Knuckles would've fought.

After Sonic's little tantrum at Knuckle's premiere, it had effected it beyond repair.

After the scandal broke, few had attended the film and those who did ranged the quality from meh to terrible, resulting in both a critical and commercial failure.

Knuckles and Espio turned away in disgust as he passed by.

Sonic finally made it to his chair, his coordination failing him, he crouched into the chair carefully.

Looking around he saw some old faces like Nack and Metal as well as some new faces, a bird and a polar bear.

 _"Wonder who they are." He thought._

Turning, he saw Tails talking to a mongoose woman he assumed was Mina as the two signed their autographs for a fan.

While their popularity was waning, Tails actually enjoyed moderate success with Skypatrol and Adventure.

Sonic had a little smile before two hands covered up his eyes.

"Guess who?" A voice asked.

Sonic's grin grew bigger as he recognized the voice.

Sonic got up and spun around quickly, bringing Amy into his arms.

"I missed you too." Amy said with a giggle.

Sonic never felt so relieved, but he still felt he needed to talk to her.

"Listen, Amy…a lot has happened since you've been away and I…" He starts to explain, only to be interrupted by Amy.

"It's okay, we've all made mistakes and besides that, I don't believe what all those magazines and or paparazzi's say, I trust you." Amy exclaimed.

Sonic hugged her again but when he pulled away, he noticed her saddened expression.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Sonic, you still have a problem." Amy pointed out.

"Look, Amy, you have to understand that it's been stressful dealing with all this, the media, the endless filming and having to argue with the execs constantly, it's driving me crazy." Sonic told her.

Amy sighed and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Please, just promise me that you'll slow down and stop doing this to yourself." Amy plead.

Sonic didn't know what to do.

He cares for her so much, yet it was his only way of coping with it all.

He simply nodded yes and the two continued to chat through there time on set.

Unfortunately for the both of them it would not be a promise he couldn't keep and just a week later, he would pay the price.

* * *

 **July 17th 1996.**

Amy had gone out that night with her friends, leaving Sonic by himself.

They had managed to rid the house of all the bottles and substances.

She wanted to help Sonic as much as she could, so she had been trying to reach out to the people he turned away from.

Amy had been attempting to get in contact with his family.

She had managed to convince them to fly out there, but due to weather conditions, they wouldn't be able to make it until around the end of Summer.

Still, Amy agreed and hopefully it would help him.

As the night went by, they each bid their goodbyes and went on home.

As Amy approached the front door, she was surprised to see the lights were still on.

Amy turned the key, unlocking the door and entered.

"Sonic, I'm home." She called out.

No one answered.

"Sonic?" She asked.

Still no answer.

Amy growing curious, noticed something in the corner.

"Glass?" She thought, staring at the broken glass scattered about on the floor.

Then, she noticed the smell.

The smell she instantly recognized.

Rushing to the kitchen, she saw a sight she wish she could block from her memories.

Sonic lay there on the floor, convulsing rapidly, foaming at the mouth, groaning in pain.

Only in his hands, was an empty bottle.


	11. Fall From Grace

**Welcome back, well, we've finally reached Sonic's fall from grace. It's a shame really but, we'll see what happens.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **July 18th 1996. Midnight.**

As Mobians all across the world turned on their televisions, they were greeted to several reports.

They were in for an experience as the stations played the emergency call.

"What is your emergency?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes, hello, my name is Amy Rose, my boyfriend, he's collapsed on the floor, he's convulsing, his mouth is foaming, I don't know what to do!" Amy shouted through her sobbing.

"Alright ma'am, were gonna need you to calm down." The receptionist told her.

"Calm down!" Amy shouted, the panic getting to her.

"Has the person in question taken any substances?" The receptionist asked.

Amy hesitated before answering yes.

The audience continued to watch and listen in horror as the recording continued to play.

"Ma'am what is your location?" The receptionist asked.

Amy proceeded to cry, giving her the address as she did.

"Alright miss, an ambulance is on it's way." The receptionist informed her.

The call was ended, footage of the ambulance rushing through the street coming in as the anchors appeared on screen beside it.

"Yes, those recordings were not false, you heard correctly, just a few hours ago actor Sonic The Hedgehog was found in his home, collapsed on the floor due to poisoning from excessive drinking and substance abuse." Sasha Cat reported.

As if all at once, everyone's jaws dropped.

They knew he had been struggling, but they never though it would ever reach this point.

"An emergency vehicle was dispatched, but due to complications was not able to arrive at the scene until moments ago, the condition of Mr. Hedgehog at this time is unknown." Sasha continued.

"We will keep you up to speed with new developments as they come." Sasha told the public.

It was if in just a few moments, everything changed.

The once great idol, now hung low, scarred in front of a media circus and a seemingly unforgiving world.

* * *

 **July 19th 1996.**

Ken barged into the office of the execs.

For once, Ken seemed unfazed as he slammed his fist on the table.

"I told you this would happen, I told all of you that this kid was gonna take this company right into the gutter!" Ken shouted.

"We are aware of the situation, Mr. Khan." One of them said.

"I recommend you calm yourself Mr. Khan, that is if you wish to keep your job." Another one threatened.

Ken took a breath and proceeded to speak.

"So, what are we going to do about it?" Ken asked.

"We already have the situation under control, Mr. Khan." Someone said as they enter red the room.

Ken turned around, shuddering as he looked at the head of the studio.

"M-Ms. Rabbot." He stuttered.

"We are to going give Mr. Hedgehog this check for his services." Bunnie states.

"Are you kidding me?" Ken says in disbelief.

"Problem, Mr. Khan?" Bunnie asks.

"This kid has trashed our reputation and lost us up to millions and you're giving him a check?!" Ken points out.

"It's his severance pay, we are releasing him from his contract." Bunnie informs him.

"Finally, music to my ears, when are we filing suits?" Ken asks.

"We're not." Bunnie says.

"But he clearly-." Ken started, only to be interrupted.

"The contract states that he must appear in projects, however under termination of contract, that agreement becomes null and void, this check will be for the remainder of projects he has filmed which will be released and we will be cutting ties, end of story." Bunnie tells him, as a matter of fact.

Ken's look of anger stays but is replaced by a smirk soon after.

"Fine, as long as he's out of the picture, still, what are we gonna tell the public?" Ken asked.

"We'll be holding a press conference in a few days, we'll tell them the truth, we'll inform them of the cancellation of X-Treme, what we'll be releasing and Sonic's status with the studio as a whole." Bunnie told him.

Ken nodded and exited the room.

As he did, Bunnie slumped into her chair, a frown on her face from the actions they had unfortunately had to take.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Sonic slowly woke up, his head aching harder than ever.

He realized he was no longer in his own home.

He was in a hospital bed, tubes running into his arms and nose.

He struggled to breath as he became fully aware, the stress building.

As his breathing grew heavier, the beeping of the monitor increased, his heart racing.

The doctors and nurses quickly rushed in to help him.

The next thing he knew, he was slowly falling back to sleep.

As his eyelids grew heavier, his vision going dark, he saw the image of himself on the television screen with a caption below.

 _"Another star falls." He silently read._

As sleep overtook him, tears fell from his eyes.

It was all over.


	12. The Road To Recovery

**Hey everyone. Well I can finally say that the angst is over and done with…mostly. Time for Sonic's time away.**

 **Responding to a couple reviews.**

 **Malik A – Thank you, I'd hoped to be able to entertain all of you.**

 **Lilac Rabbit – Sorry about that, but don't worry, it all changes, starting here.**

 **Thank you all and let Sonic's example teach you, that even in our darkest times, to just get back up and keep on running.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Crash Bandicoot or any of the characters, they are owned by Vicarious Visions and Activision._

* * *

 **January 1st 1997.**

It had been almost six months since he was last seen by the public eye.

In the time that passed, Sonic had received both treatment and therapy for his conditions and continued to stay strong with each day that passed.

While many had wondered what exactly he was doing, his movies and television specials continued to be released, despite no star to go out there and promote them.

At first, Sonic seemed furious that they would cut ties with him.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that they did him a favor.

No more deadlines, no more working through nights without any sleep for weeks and most of all, no more having to make rain checks with the ones he loved.

Thanks to his work and lack of spending, Sonic had saved up his money, having enough cash for an early retirement.

Sonic remained home with Amy, who had stuck by him and helped him through his recovery.

He awoke from his bed, the sun shining on his face and went out to the kitchen to see a full breakfast made.

"Happy Anniversary." Amy said, kissing him on the cheek.

Four years later since that first kiss they shared at that New Years party and the two were inseparable.

Sonic and Amy spent a quiet day at home, only with each other's company.

It was weird being together without the cameras surrounding them, but it was nice finally having some solitude to themselves.

As it became late, Sonic and Amy drove out to their reservation, a nice restaurant on the other end of town.

Sonic and Amy were seated and ordered their dinners, it was then they noticed something.

Someone was staring at them.

Amy whispered to Sonic that a group at another table was staring at them.

Sonic turned to look, but as he did, the group quickly picked up their menus, effectively hiding their faces.

Sonic thought about it for a moment but shrugged it off, figuring they just recognized him or something.

As they paid for their meals and walked out, Sonic felt a tap on his shoulder.

Sonic turned to see an orange bandicoot stood before him.

"Can I help you?" Sonic asked.

"You're really him, you're Sonic the Hedgehog?" The bandicoot said nervously.

"Yeah." Was all Sonic could say.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners?" The bandicoot said, quickly putting out his hand for Sonic to shake.

"I'm Crash, Crash Bandicoot." He introduced himself.

Sonic shook his hand and after a few seconds, realized who he was.

"Oh yeah, I've heard about you, your movie came out a few months back, right?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, back in September, it's an honor to meet you sir, you've been such a huge inspiration to me." Crash told him.

"Please, call me Sonic and thank you, it's an honor to meet you as well." Sonic told him.

"So, I take it you were one of the ones hiding behind the menus." Sonic said.

"Yeah, sorry about that, we just didn't want to cause a scene in the restaurant, I was actually going to ask you something." Crash explained.

"What was it?" Sonic asked.

"I was wondering if I could get some advice, you've been doing this a while, I was just curious if you had any pointers for a rookie." Crash told him.

Sonic looked at him, being reminded of himself when he first started.

Knowing where this could eventually lead, Sonic decided to warn him of the mistakes he made.

"Well, first of all, look closely at your contract, I made the mistake of signing before reading and it ended up destroying me." Sonic warned him.

"How so?" Crash asked.

"I basically signed away my freedom, to where if I didn't agree to perform for any of the events they wished, I would be fired and placed on trial." Sonic explained.

Crash looked at him with pity.

"Dude, that's harsh." Crash said.

"Yeah, eventually, I broke down, you saw what happened in the news, right?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, we were filming when it happened, everyone on set couldn't believe it." Crash said.

"Yeah, I was pushed too far and made some bad choices, don't make the same mistake I did." Sonic told him.

Crash nodded he would and thanked him.

"I gotta get going, gotta rest up for tomorrow, we start filming the sequel and when you don't have any lines, you have to double up on the action scenes." Crash said, saying goodbye.

"One last thing." Sonic said.

Crash turned to listen.

"You got anyone in your life you care about?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, the two inside you saw, my girlfriend, Tawna and my sister, Coco." Crash said, gesturing to the door.

"Don't take them for granted, they should always be your first priority, always cherish your time with them." Sonic advised him.

Crash smiled, nodding yes once more and headed back inside.

Sonic and Amy drive back home, Sonic's words staying with him the whole way.

A few hours later while Amy was asleep, Sonic layed awake in bed, unable to shake off the thoughts.

That's when he realized what he had to do.

Sonic went to the bathroom, washed his face and combed his quills.

He went back to his room and woke Amy, grabbing his jacket and keys.

"Sonic, what's wrong?" Amy asked.

Sonic looked at her with a determined look on his face and asked her a simple question.

"Ames, you up for a little trip?"


	13. Home Again

**Hey everyone. It's been awhile. Sorry if this one took awhile, my priorities had shifted to other stories for a time, personal stuff happened and I needed more time to explore ideas for this story. I guess like Sonic, I needed to step back and take a break, but now I'm back and I hope you enjoy.**

 **Without further ado, Here's a little transition chapter that signals the start of Sonic's new beginning.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **January 2nd 1997.**

It was a cold morning in town, the fog so thick, you could barely see anything in front of you.

The lone car drove through the streets, appearing out from the fog, down the country road.

Amy had been asleep in the passenger seat, Sonic driving all night long, unable to get any rest, thinking over and over again in his mind, what was he going to say.

Finally after the long trip there, they had arrived.

"Amy, wake up." Sonic said, nudging her softly.

Amy yawned as she awoke, rubbing her eyes to see more clearly.

Amy looked out the window to find they were back in their hometown, parked right in front of Sonic's old home.

Amy had tried to get his family out to help him almost a year ago, but after the incident, that plan was postponed until he could receive treatment and get him the help he needed, now it would seem that Sonic was taking matters into his own hands.

Sonic helped Amy out of the car and the two walked up the porch, reaching the front door.

Sonic went to knock, but for a moment, he hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

Sonic sighed.

"Nothing, it's just a bit overwhelming, that's all." Sonic said.

Sonic knocked on the door, hearing people talking from inside the house and after a few seconds the door opened.

As the door opened, Sonic was met face to face by Aleena.

"Sonic?" Aleena said in disbelief.

"Hi, Aleena." Sonic said, nervously.

Aleena looked to her left and noticed Amy.

"Come in, come in, you two must be freezing." Aleena welcomed them in.

Sonic and Amy stepped inside, Sonic stopping as soon as he saw his father.

His father didn't say a word, instead welcoming the two, with open arms.

Sonic had been distant, but even after all this time, he would be forgiven.

Sonic had apologized for ignoring his father and being so unaccepting of Aleena.

However, there was one more person he had to apologize to.

But before that, there were also two people he had to meet.

From upstairs, the sounds of someone calling out for their mother.

"Looks like the twins are up." Aleena said before heading upstairs.

"She had twins?" Sonic said.

"Yep, was a surprise to both of us too." Jules said with a chuckle.

With that said, Aleena had come back downstairs, two little hedgehogs now with her.

One was a pink female hedgehog standing beside her, hiding behind her leg, the other was a green male hedgehog, still half asleep, being carried by her.

"Sonic, I'd like you to meet, Manic and Sonia." Aleena introduced them.

"Who is he?" Sonia asked, shyly.

"This is your older brother, Sonic." Aleena told her.

Sonic crouched down to say hi to her, only for her to back away a bit.

"She's still really shy around new people." Aleena said.

Sonic nodded and stood back up, saying hi to Manic, who just pouted.

"This ones got a bit of an attitude problem." Aleena said, setting him down, only for him to try and run back upstairs.

Sonic laughed a bit, remembering how much trouble he was when he was Manic's age.

As time rolled on, they engaged in a few conversations and Amy even getting along with Manic and Sonia.

But, Sonic still had one more thing to do before he left for the night.

Walking out into the fields, Sonic stopped, standing before a tombstone, the pile of dirt once there, now covered by the growing grass.

"Hey mom." Sonic said.

Sonic sat down, sitting in front of the grave, saying words he hadn't gotten to say to her till now.

"It's been awhile, I'm…I'm sorry I haven't visited since that day…it's been…a rough few years." Sonic started.

"I'm sorry about being so cold all this time." Sonic said.

"Amy's been helping me through a lot, I wish I could've brought her home earlier, I bet you two would've gotten along." Sonic said, almost smiling.

As night started to arrive, Sonic had made his peace.

"Well mom, it looks like I have to go." Sonic said.

He knelt closer, planting a flower in the ground, which would hopefully grow.

Sonic stood up, taking one last look before he would leave.

"I miss you." He said.

Sonic walked through the fields, back to the house.

He bid goodbye to his family, Sonic and Amy got into the car.

Sonic looked in the rear view mirror, looking at the house, regretting having to leave again.

But sure enough, Sonic stepped on the pedal, driving off, back to their home.

Sonic both felt a weight lifted and sadness in his heart.

He had finally made peace with everyone, but at the same time, he was leaving them behind once more.

Back into a world where he was Sonic The Hedgehog, a has been, instead of just Sonic.

Fortunately in just a little over a year, all that would change.


	14. Developing A New Era

**Your support is awesome as always, it's been great writing this story and you all make it even better.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Dreamcast, Dreamcast is owned and trademarked by Sega._

* * *

 **April 1997.**

A few months had passed, Sonic now keeping in contact with his family.

But in the meantime, while Sonic had managed to get his act together, Sega as a whole, was a different story.

With the combined streak of unfortunate outcomes, the loss of their biggest star, the remaining projects they had released receiving mixed to negative reviews, other franchises they were trying to start up and the fact that they had spread themselves too thin, with budgets reaching bigger heights resulting in more failures, Sega were on the fast track to closing their doors.

While Sega had fallen by the wayside, a new rival had arrived.

Another company had stepped up, easily trouncing over them to the point where it was almost like it wasn't even a competition anymore.

Sega had fallen to a distant third place, they needed a miracle, and they needed it fast.

Rouge walked down the halls, watching on, saddened as she saw another person packing their belongings into a small cardboard box.

 _"That's the twentieth one this week." Rouge thought._

Many of their employees were being fired to account for the studio's losses, an unfortunate result.

Rouge sighed, only to smile a second later as a pair of arms wrapped around her.

"Hey." Knuckles said.

"Hey." She said back, kissing him.

"Well, I called them up and the date for the venue is set." Knuckles told her.

"Great, by the way I have a dress fitting at the house tomorrow, so no coming home until after." Rouge said, still a bit superstitious.

"Come on, I don't get to see my beautiful fiancé in her dress?" Knuckles said.

Yes, after a few years together, Knuckles had proposed and now, the two were set to be married that Spring.

Rouge was a bit taken aback by his proposal at first, she wasn't the type to settle down with just anyone, but her relationship with Knuckles was great, she did care for him more than anyone else, plus, the diamond on the ring wasn't exactly easy to pass up.

She may not have felt she was ready, but she was willing to give it a try for him.

"Well, I gotta get going, the guys are throwing my bachelor party tonight." Knuckles said with a smirk.

As Knuckles walked away, Rouge kept the smile on her face.

 _"If you try anything stupid, I'll make sure you regret it." She thought, sinisterly as she still smiled and waved._

After Knuckles was out of sight, Rouge proceeded down the hall further, reaching the main office.

Opening the door, she saw a lone rabbit, sitting at a large desk, her head in her hands as she felt regret.

"Ms. Rabbot?" Rouge said.

"Yes, Rouge?" Bunnie addressed her.

"Here are the reports you asked for." Rouge said, handing her some files.

Bunnie just looked down, staring at them for a moment before turning her sight back to Rouge.

"Rouge, to tell you the truth, I didn't call you in for just these files, I called you in here for your opinion." Bunnie said.

"On what?" Rouge asked.

"Sega's been going downhill since we left Sonic behind, do you think…do you think we were a bit too hasty in letting him go?" Bunnie asked for her opinion.

"In all honesty, no, you weren't." Rouge said.

"He was causing too much trouble, his antics were unforgivable and the constant pressure and endless work was driving him crazy, it was all for the best." Rouge said.

Bunnie nodded in agreement.

"However." Rouge spoke up again.

Bunnie looked at her, curious as to where this was going.

"Things have changed and in such a short time, he's cleaned up his act, the studio's back to being a core group and the public's taste has changed, which is why, I have a plan." Rouge said.

"What plan?" Bunnie asked.

"I've been working on a complete new image for our company, an overhaul of our brand." Rouge said.

Rouge pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Bunnie.

"Here are a list of new projects we can put into production, bigger movies, better quality, but lower budget." Rouge said.

Bunnie looked over the list, intrigued by a few of them, one being an action movie where the main character drives a cab, another where people would compete in a huge boating race and finally, one more title caught her attention, one simply titled, Chaos.

"What's this Chaos movie?" Bunnie asked.

"W-well, it's the project I've been working on the most." Rouge stuttered.

"It's one I wish to direct, the script however, isn't finished." Rouge told her.

"Well, that's a shame." Bunnie said.

"But, I am working on it and I want to start production by the beginning of next year." Rouge revealed her intention.

"Rouge, you know that will be difficult." Bunnie said.

"What other choice do we have?" Rouge pointed out.

Bunnie weighed her options before Rouge spoke up one more time.

"It's the prototype script for a new Sonic movie, if we're going to get back in the game, I think it would be best if we brought him back in." Rouge told her.

Bunnie thought about it.

"But he." She started to speak up, only for Rouge to interrupt her.

"Has cleaned up his act, just like I said, and he's come out better for it, I really think a new take on Sonic for a newer audience as well as the old fans could work and start the help in saving us." Rouge said with more determination than ever.

Bunnie folded her arms and smiled.

"So…where do we start?" Bunnie said, ready to give Sonic one more chance.

"Getting everyone back together and of course, recruiting some new faces." Rouge said.

"What about Knuckles?" Bunnie asked.

"He's still mad at Sonic, but I'm sure I can convince him to at least talk to him, Sonic and Amy, I'll have to convince and as for Tails, I'm not sure if he'll come back." Rouge said.

After making a fair amount of cash and receiving some moderate praise for his works, Tails took a break from stardom, focusing on his relationship with Mina Mongoose, pursuing his education and working as a part time mechanic.

"So, looks like we have our work cut out for us." Bunnie said.

"That we do." Rouge agreed.

As Rouge went to make a call, Bunnie asked one more thing.

"Rouge, what do you call this new brand?" Bunnie asked.

Rouge smirked and said only one word.

"Dreamcast."


	15. Casting

**Well, it looks like the next step in Sonic's life has begun, the question is, can he come back from such a fall? Let's find out.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Dreamcast, the Dreamcast is owned and trademarked by Sega._

* * *

 **November 18th 1997.**

Development of the new Sonic project had begun, this one was going to prove to be the biggest story and movie they had done yet.

There was a lot of ambition when going into this project and they were sure they had something great on their hands.

Rouge had managed to convince Tails into coming back to the franchise.

After having Mina perform at her wedding, back in May, the next day she had offered Tails a role in the project.

Tails was hesitant, but eventually agreed to do it, figuring that despite being not that long ago, it felt like ages since he last saw his friends.

As for the rest of the cast, Rouge had obviously recruited Knuckles, albeit having to threaten him.

Knuckles wasn't too excited to come back, but when Rouge had a few words with him and told him about the fight scene between him and Sonic, she got him to agree.

The crew had built another robot character for the story, which they nicknamed, Gamma.

Then, because they were desperate and wanted to try something different, they hired a no name actor with no prior experience or training.

Rouge disagreed with the decision, but she wasn't able to dissuade them from hiring him, although all he did was wander around, looking for his pet frog which he lost constantly.

Despite that, Rouge was proud of herself, managing to get this project underway and having four members of her cast already set.

 _"Now comes the difficult part." Rouge thought._

* * *

 **Sonic and Amy's home.**

Sonic and Amy had been watching the premiere of Sonic R, reminiscing on when they had filmed it, how cheesy but enjoyable it was.

"Hey, Amy." Sonic said.

"Yeah." Amy answered.

"Why did you use a car anyway, you could've kept up with us easy on foot?" Sonic asked.

"I have no idea, the studio wanted me to use the car for some reason." Amy said, remembering how weird it was, driving the tiny car, falling behind everyone because of how slow it was.

As it went to commercial, Amy heard a knock at the door.

Sonic answered it, revealing Rouge standing there.

"Rouge, it's been awhile." Sonic said, in surprise.

"Come on in." Sonic welcomed her in.

Rouge walked in, Amy hugging her and admiring the ring Knuckles had given Rouge.

"Sorry Knuckles didn't invite you two, I'll make it up to you somehow." Rouge apologized.

"It's alright, we understand." Sonic said.

"So, what brings you out here?" Amy asked.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you two about something." Rouge said.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"Well, recently at Sega, we've been undergoing, changes." Rouge started.

"We've started up a new image and we're trying to get back on track, we're going to make hit after hit." Rouge continued.

"One of those hits happens to be a new Sonic film." Rouge said.

Instantly, Sonic walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Sonic, come back." Amy said.

 _"Well, that could've gone better." Rouge thought._

"I'm sorry about him, he's still a little bitter after the experience." Amy apologized.

"It's alright." Rouge said.

The door opened, Sonic storming back into the room.

"The answer is no." Sonic said.

"But Sonic, we already have writers working on the story, Tails and Knuckles have already signed on, all that's left is you and Amy." Rouge mentioned.

"I'm not gonna be Sega's victim again, last time I worked for you, I lost control and nearly lost my life, I'm not going back to that." Sonic said, reminding her of what he went through.

"Sonic, I swear to you, this time is different." Rouge said.

"You'll have full creative control and control over your schedule, no more endless work days, no more forced appearances or roles and no more not being able to spend time with the people you love, this time you'll have more freedom." Rouge told him.

Sonic thought it over, replaying her words in his mind over and over again, debating on whether or not it was the right choice.

He did miss acting and being on screen, seeing all the fans, just loving the excitement.

But was it worth the risk?

"Tell you what, think it over, we start filming this summer." Rouge said, handing him the new business card.

"They really do need you, Sonic." Rouge plead one last time before saying goodbye to both of them and leaving.

Sonic stood there, looking at the card in his hand.

"So, what're you going to do?" Amy asked.

"I don't know Amy, I just don't know." Sonic said.

As Sonic rested that night, he dreamt of when he first started, the audition, the first day on set and lastly, the premiere.

It was hard to believe that it was all only a little over six years ago, but it was true.

Sonic awoke, turning to see Amy fast asleep.

Sonic smiled, kissing her on the cheek before getting out of bed and going down stairs.

Sonic picked up the phone, dialing the number she gave him.

"Hello?" It was Rouge that answered.

"Rouge, it's Sonic." Sonic said.

Rouge said nothing, leading to Sonic saying what he called to say.

"I'm in."


	16. The Beginning Of A Dream

**Hey, glad to have you back and now we're moving on to my favorite game in the series, Sonic Adventure. This'll be fun, and I hope you enjoy.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Dreamcast, the Dreamcast is owned and trademarked by Sega._

* * *

 **March 1998.**

With the last few of the talks finished and everyone else's contracts signed, there was only one thing left to do, get Sonic back into Sega.

Today, Sonic would be discussing the terms of his return and for everyone's sake, they hoped it would work out.

Sonic, dressed in his best suit, walked down the long hallway to the board room, briefcase in hand.

Sonic entered the room, the slamming of doors echoing out from the silent room.

Sonic looked from one side of the room to the other, seeing the executives seated at both sides of the table and Ms. Rabbot seated at the end.

"Mr. Hedgehog, it's a pleasure to have you here with us this morning." Bunnie said.

"It's a pleasure to be here, ma'am." Sonic said, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table.

"Well then, let's get to the matter at hand." Bunnie announced.

Sonic opened up the briefcase, taking out multiple slips of papers and handing them around to everyone.

"These are copies of the contract that contain my terms over my career here at Sega." Sonic told them.

As they looked over them, Sonic stated the gist of it.

"Basically, all I ask for is more control, I want a say in creative decisions and I get to chose which and how many projects I take on." Sonic stated his terms.

Now, it was their call.

"Mr. Hedgehog, what gives you any right to make these demands?" One of the executives questioned.

"Because all of you are only a little ways away from being out of the job and on the street, that, and the fact that Sega needs me as much as I need Sega." Sonic stated it as a matter of fact.

His words quieted everyone, knowing he was right.

"Well Mr. Hedgehog, I'd say this is more than fair, we'll be happy to agree to your terms." Bunnie said, trying to hide her smile.

As she was about to sign, the doors burst open, an angry Ken Khan glaring at them.

"Mr. Khan, to what do we owe this interruption?" Bunnie asked.

Ken just ignored her, setting his sights on Sonic, lunging at him, Sonic running out of the way like it was nothing.

Ken collided with the chair, breaking it and falling to the floor.

"Mr. Khan, restrain yourself or I will have you thrown out!" Bunnie threatened.

Ken stood up, looking Bunnie dead in the eyes.

"Are you all insane?!" Ken asked, rhetorically.

"How could you even think to hire this moron again?!" Ken asked, in anger.

"I may not have been smart last time, but only because I wasn't the one making the decisions, now I don't have a terrible manager to ruin everything." Sonic mocked him.

"What did you just say?" Ken asked, furious.

"You heard me, if it wasn't for you keeping me from being able to rest easy, from seeing the people I love, for being able to live my life, I would've never crashed and burned." Sonic said.

Sonic had acknowledged that his downfall had been his own fault, but he knew Ken's lack of compassion towards everyone else and the fact that he despised Sonic were factors that had lead to it as well.

Ken didn't care for Sonic's well being or anyone else but himself, he'd insulted Amy, he'd caused Sonic's multiple breakdowns and attempted to have Sonic fired multiple times.

Ken had been a cause and he wasn't going to let him get away with it.

"So what, you were nothing without me, who in their right mind would manage a train wreck like you?" Ken asked.

"Me." Someone said.

Everyone turned their sights to the open doors, seeing none other than Rouge The Bat.

"Rouge?" Ken said, in surprise.

"I figured I work for Sega already and I've worked with him since the beginning, I may as well look out for him." Rouge said, as she walked over and put her arm around Sonic.

Ken growled, grinding his teeth in anger.

Ken turned and addressed the board.

"Look, this guy is a nobody, a has been, he's just gonna crash again and lose you a load of money, just like last time, and I don't want to be here when that happens, so it's either him or me." Ken gave them a choice.

Bunnie looked at him in amusement before standing up, grabbing a cardboard box from the supply closet and handing it to Ken.

"Pack up your things, Mr. Khan." Bunnie said, proudly.

Sonic and Rouge smirked, trying to hold back their laughter.

Ken looked at her in anger and disbelief.

"You can't do this!" Ken shouted.

"I already have, Mr. Khan, you're fired." Bunnie stated.

Ken went to attack her, but security had already shown up and held him back.

"Throw him out and have someone clear his desk up." Bunnie requested.

As they carried Ken away, Bunnie grabbed her pen and signed the contract, Sonic signing it as well.

"Mr. Hedgehog." Bunnie said.

Bunnie looked up at Sonic, no longer hiding her smile.

"Welcome back." Bunnie said.

* * *

 **July 1998.**

With filming a movie in a high profile city and the fact that many citizens were filmed in the background as extras while Sonic and the rest of the cast had ran around, rumors began circulating of the new Sonic title in the works.

Many had tried to get an exclusive, but production was mostly kept secret, save for some leaked footage of a few takes.

But this time would be different.

While Sonic's name was in the title, this time everyone got their chance to be in the spotlight, as each of them had their own story arcs throughout the main story, all of them interconnected.

The tone would be a bit more serious, as they would explore the story behind the echidna tribe as well as take on their most dangerous challenge yet, an ancient entity known only as Chaos.

The cast had never been used to acting around digital effects, so fighting Chaos was a bit of a challenge since nothing was really there, but they were up for it.

Only a week into filming, everyone knew this was going to be a fun production to work on.

The real question was, would that feeling translate to the screen and to everyone watching?

* * *

 **August 22nd 1998: Sega Press Conference.**

The press had been gathered in a large auditorium for Sega's presentation.

The lights dimmed, leaving a lone spotlight as Bunnie walked onto the stage, the light shining down on her.

The spotlight faded, leaving the room dark and in silence for a moment.

Then, all of sudden, bright blue lights shined from the stage, the sound of guitars blasting out of the speakers as footage played on the big screen on stage.

The guitars faded a bit as well as the lights, still lighting the stage up.

"Welcome." Bunnie said.

"It has been an interesting year for Sega, while recently we had experienced a few setbacks, we are still going strong and are better off for it." Bunnie said, receiving an applause.

"Now, a few months ago, we announced our new Dreamcast line, and received generally good reviews." Bunnie said.

"However, some said they had to see to believe, saying that we had to have the titles to back it up." Bunnie stated.

"Well, today, no more tell, just show, today, we have exclusive footage of our new film lineup for Dreamcast." Bunnie announced, exiting the stage as they applauded once more.

Over the course an hour, Sega showed off the Dreamcast launch titles, showing that this wasn't going to be the same old Sega, it was new, it was different, it was exciting.

Eventually, Bunnie walked back onto the stage for one final announcement.

"I hope you've enjoyed the presentation for tonight, but before you go, we have one more title to announce." Bunnie said.

The lights went out once more, the screen playing footage of Station Square, some raising their eyebrows in confusion.

The scene went on and then out of nowhere, the city began to flood, the sewers flooding, the caps bursting open as water shot out, buildings breaking from above, the water flowing down from above while the streets ruptured below.

The city was being destroyed by this catastrophe as the flood just kept going, a large tidal wave hitting the city.

Many had assumed that this was a sort of natural disaster film, not knowing what would happen in just a moment.

Suddenly, the water formed a large monster, terrifying everyone as it bellowed out its wail.

Suddenly, the footage showed a first person perspective, going back and forth as someone ran into view.

Everyone gasped as a familiar blue hedgehog ran into view.

Everyone remained in awe as Angel Island fell into the sea.

Footage of each of the main characters was shown, as well as the new fleet of airships.

Finally, Sonic's smirk graced the camera, putting all the rumors to rest.

Sonic was back.

As the introduction ended, it received tremendous applause as well as a standing ovation.

Bunnie, once again, walked back on stage.

"Please help me in welcoming the cast of Sonic Adventure." Bunnie said.

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Gamma and Big, all walked out on stage, waving to the audience.

Everyone had their cameras ready, taking pictures of them.

Sonic had been surprised, after what happened a few years previously, he didn't think he would be welcomed back with open arms.

But he was wrong, they still loved him, just the same.


	17. A New Face

**Alright, the premiere of Sonic's comeback film. Of course, for the group, it's time to celebrate. What surprises will the day bring? Let's find out.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Dreamcast, the Dreamcast is owned and trademarked by Sega._

* * *

 **September 9th 1999.**

This was it, the day so many had waited for.

The hype was bigger than they could've ever imagined.

There were lines going around the block for multiple theaters, everyone so excited to see the blue hedgehog back in action.

It seemed like this Dreamcast thing would be a smash hit.

Of course, the critics had already seen it and they had a generally positive reaction, but the public was the key.

However, even if it didn't succeed, Sonic was just happy that he was able to come back again.

Rouge and Knuckles were throwing a party for the release day, inviting all of the cast and crew.

Knuckles blasted his records at full volume, the living room looking almost like a nightclub.

While everyone else was celebrating, Sonic and Amy had remained outside, having the balcony all to themselves.

"Well, they definitely know how to throw a party." Amy said, with a little laugh.

"That's for sure." Sonic said.

"So, it looks like you're going to be a big star again." Amy brought up.

"Yeah, honestly it's kind of weird now." Sonic told her.

"Well, everyone deserves a second chance." Amy said.

"Seems kind of like the third or fourth, with how many mistakes I made." Sonic said.

"Maybe, but you've been through a lot, but now you're in control of your life." Amy said.

"True, and as long as you're in it, it will always be worth the while." Sonic said.

Amy smiled as he held her close, resting her head against his chest.

As her eyes opened, she gasped in surprise.

Held in Sonic's other hand, was a ring.

Not just any ring, an engagement ring, diamond and all.

Sonic looked at her, returning the smile as he popped the question.

"Will you marry me?" Sonic asked.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Knuckles had been busy, basically spending the whole time in stage.

While Knuckles had been busy partying with his friends and performing in stage, Rouge had been left alone, wandering through the crowd while her husband was having the time of his life.

Rouge sighed as she made her way outside, taking a seat at the patio table.

As she sat down, she looked up to see Amy hugging Sonic, hearing a faint yes from the pink hedgehog.

She noticed Sonic slipping a ring onto Amy's finger and she put two and two together.

Rouge smirked at the scene.

"Nice work, blue boy." Rouge said.

Rouge then looked back at the party, through the patio screen door.

Knuckles had dived into the crowd and was being carried by them as they chanted his name.

Rouge sighed again.

 _"What happened?" She thought._

Rouge and Knuckles had been married for over two years.

At first, it seemed like nothing had changed, they were still in love and there for one another.

But, as time went on, she started to notice that Knuckles' attention has shifted elsewhere.

Knuckles had been paying less attention to her, no longer showing much affection towards her and even spending most of his nights out with the Chaotix.

Rouge understood that Knuckles enjoyed that lifestyle, she just wished he would be there for her more.

 _"I need you." Rouge thought._

Suddenly, the patio doors opened, alerting Rouge to company.

Rouge looked up, seeing a hedgehog standing there, looking at her.

"Sorry if I'm bothering you, I just had to get away for a moment." He apologized.

"No, it's alright, I understand." Rouge said, offering him a seat.

He obliged and took a seat across from her, in case she wanted to make conversation.

"I don't think I've seen you around before." Rouge said.

"I'm just a stunt double, they used me for that final battle scene with Chaos since they thought some of the sequences were too dangerous for Sonic." He told her.

"Oh, well then, you're either very brave or very stupid." Rouge said, with a laugh.

"No, just looking for a challenge, honestly I was hoping it would lead to a role." He said.

"Well, it's a good place to start." Rouge said.

"So, why are you out here?" He asked.

Rouge pointed towards Knuckles and the hedgehog nodded in understanding.

"You're a lucky woman." He joked.

Rouge laughed at his little jab.

"But, in all seriousness, he is a lucky man, being married to an amazing director, not to mention a kind woman." He complimented.

"What makes you think I'm kind?" Rouge asked.

"Everyone knows what you did for Sonic, how you helped him get back his career and his new contract with the studio, you were a good friend to him." He reminded her.

"He's a good guy, I've known him since he was just a kid, he has a good heart and he deserved to be looked at for who he is instead of what happened during his struggle." Rouge told him.

He nodded in agreement.

The two chatted away as the party went on, finding that they had some things in common as well as a few differences.

 _"I can't remember the last time I had a talk like this." Rouge thought._

She honestly was enjoying her time with this stranger.

But, all good things must come to an end.

As it began to grow dark, he had to leave.

"Sorry to run, but I have to work tomorrow, maybe I'll see you at the studio." He told her.

"Yeah, wait, can I get your name, maybe I can find you there?" Rouge asked.

He looked at her with a smirk, before saying a name that would stick with her, as well as others for a long time to come.

"It's Shadow, Shadow The Hedgehog."


	18. A New Millennium

**Well, with the new year almost here, I thought I'd upload a chapter for the day. I hope you all have a fantastic new year and may there be more stories to come.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Dreamcast, the Dreamcast is owned and trademarked by Sega._

* * *

 **December 31st 1999.**

The year had proven to be one of the most exciting and fun times the crew had had in a long time.

With the successful launch of the Dreamcast line, Sonic Adventure paving the way for a new beginning and the decade now coming to a close, it seemed like they were on top of the world once more.

The feeling of excitement was in the air, as all over the world, everyone was counting down the minutes to the new millennium.

Sega would be broadcasting in Station Square, holding a live celebration to ring in the new year.

As the clock grew closer to midnight, the huge crowd of over a thousand celebrated in style.

Musical guests, celebrity appearances and even a few fireworks displays, it was truly a sight to behold.

Sonic and Amy had just finished their time on camera, discussing their recent elopement and went inside for a moment.

As they entered, Tails was still pacing around, typing away on his advanced watch he had built.

"Tails, would you give it a rest?" Sonic said.

"I can't afford to, I have to finish coding, if Y2K hits and my machines are affected, I'm history." Tails said.

"Yeah, but you're missing Mina's performance." Amy pointed out.

Tails immediately stopped, having a look of horror on his face before turning his complete attention to the television.

As the night went on, everyone was discussing the year as a whole and eventually, how far they had come in such a short amount of time.

"I can't believe it's only been eight years since that first movie." Sonic said.

"Yeah, it feels like forever ago." Tails said.

"You ever just stop to think about it, how different your life would be if you weren't famous?" Sonic asked everyone.

Everyone started to think.

Tails imagined himself as a university teacher, specializing in the technology and machinery.

Amy imagined that she would have been a professional matchmaker and still married to Sonic of course.

Knuckles saw himself as a boxer, while Rouge imagined she was a jewelry store owner.

All the while, Sonic saw himself, back in his home town, simple job, simple life.

It almost seemed ideal to him, even willing to give up his fame for that life.

Still, part of him would always love the fans and their happiness.

Their daydreams were cut short when they were called outside, with only a minute until the clock struck twelve.

"You ready for the next millennium?" Someone asked, Sonic.

Sonic simply gave a thumbs up with his trademark smirk.

When that countdown ended, a new era would soon begin.

An era of division, confusion, downfall, praise and hope.

The 2000's had begun.


	19. Making The Call

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **January 14th 2000.**

Two weeks into the new millennium and already everyone was back to work.

With Sonic back in the spotlight after Adventure's success, it was time to strike while the iron was hot.

However, like most things throughout their lives, it would prove to be complicated, both on and off set.

The Sonic crew were hanging out on the set of their newest special, Sonic Shuffle.

Shuffle was pretty much guaranteed to be a hit, after all, a certain someone already had a party that was a huge hit, with a sequel coming out in a few days.

"Hey Knuckles, what's going on with the Chaotix, I haven't seen them in awhile?" Sonic asked.

"You and me both." Knuckles said.

"Ever since Mighty moved out to the country, things haven't been the same." Knuckles said.

"Vector was kind of torn up, he was like a parent to us, it's difficult for him to see us start to leave." Knuckles said.

Sonic understood, remembering the look on his mother's face when he had left home.

"Speaking of which, you've been living with Rouge for a few years now, what's that been like?" Sonic asked, with a hidden motive.

Amy had taken notice of Rouge's distance from Knuckles, something even he didn't see.

Rouge revealed to Amy that Knuckles had barely even payed attention to her anymore and that he hadn't even kissed her in months, not even on New Years.

It seemed that Rouge was just another infatuation that Knuckles had grown bored of.

Hearing this, she told Sonic everything and of course, he was concerned.

He had been friends with both of them for so long, without Rouge, he probably wouldn't even have been able to perform that first day on set.

So, he had to know what was going on.

"It's been alright, she's cool." Knuckles said.

Sonic gave him a look, with slight disappointment.

Knuckles noticed this and spoke up.

"I'm not good with words, point is, we're married." Knuckles made his point.

"You don't seem too happy about it." Sonic said.

"I'm not gonna lie, I miss the single life, doing crazy stuff, partying all the time and all the different women." Knuckles told him.

"I actually went out with a fan last night, I got her number and I think I'm gonna ask her out again." Knuckles added on.

Sonic couldn't believe what he was hearing, he didn't always agree with Knuckles, but he did always have respect for him.

But this just wasn't right.

"What about Rouge?" Sonic asked.

"She's alright, she's good to have around, I figured we dated so long, I should tie the knot, I didn't know everything would change so much." Knuckles said.

"But, you still love her, right?" Sonic asked.

Knuckles looked at him, a little annoyed.

"Why are you asking?" Knuckles asked, in a threatening tone.

"I'm just curious." Sonic replied.

Knuckles sighed and shrugged it off, not answering his question.

It was true, Knuckles didn't feel that way about her.

He had married her out of necessity, not out of love.

Unfortunately for him, their microphones were still on.

* * *

 **Sound Booth.**

Rouge had heard their entire conversation, Amy sitting next to her, comforting the bat as she started to tear up.

"Rouge, it's okay, I'm sure you two can work this out." Amy told her.

Rouge rested her head against the sound deck, letting a few whimpers slip out.

As Amy was about to try again, Rouge stood up.

"Tell everyone I wasn't feeling well and that I had to go home early." Rouge asked, of Amy.

"Okay." Amy said.

Rouge walked out of the sound booth, leaving the studio to think things out.

Rouge dialed on her phone as she walked to the local park, hoping who she was calling could help.

"Hello?" She heard on the line.

"Shadow, it's Rouge." Rouge said.

"Hey, it's been awhile, what's going on?" Shadow asked.

"I was wondering, could you meet me at the park." Rouge said, trying to hold back her sobs.

Shadow noticed the hint of sadness in her voice and said yes.

* * *

 **Later.**

Shadow arrived and the two of them took a seat on a bench, Shadow staying quiet for a moment and just trying to calm her with his presence.

Finally, he began to ask her what had lead her to this.

"What's troubling you?" Shadow asked.

Rouge sniffled a bit and spoke up.

"It's my husband, he's…seeing…someone else." Rouge struggles to get her words out.

Shadow's already mixed emotions are heightened, immediately comforting Rouge out of concern while feeling nothing but disgust towards Knuckles.

"He's an idiot." Shadow said.

"What?" Rouge asked.

"He's betrayed one of the most beautiful and caring women, he broke your trust, he's an idiot for doing so." Shadow outright said his opinion.

"Love isn't something that you should take advantage of, it's meant to be treated with care and devotion." Shadow continued.

"I'm sorry that he's done this to you." Shadow said, giving her an awkward hug.

Despite his passion and conviction, he was still rusty when it came to displays of affection, seeing as he lived alone most of his life.

Rouge returned the gesture, finding some form of solace when she was with him.

"Thank you, Shadow." Rouge said.

They broke the embrace and chatted the day way, Rouge feeling a little better, but still having that same thought in the back of her mind.

 _"What am I going to do?" Rouge thought._

Shadow, as if sensing her worry, tried to put her mind at ease.

"If you're wondering how to handle the situation, ask yourself a few questions." Shadow said.

"How do you feel about him?" Shadow asked.

"Can you still trust him?" Shadow asked.

"How will you confront him about this?" Shadow asked.

"Should you be with him?" Shadow asked.

"It's up to you to make the call." Shadow said.

Shadow bid her goodbye and walked off, leaving her to ask herself those questions.

Rouge went over them in her head, over and over again.

She was hesitant to marry Knuckles, but she had still loved him with all of her heart.

But he was always distant, even when he was romantic, he was still off in his own little world.

She still loved him, despite the way he was.

She knew she couldn't trust him, he was always the party type, not willing to settle down.

Could she confront him?

No, she didn't have the heart to face him.

She just didn't feel loved anymore and If he didn't want to be with her, than she shouldn't be with him.

Rouge flew home, hoping Knuckles hadn't returned yet.

Thankfully, he hadn't.

Rouge went upstairs, grabbing her suitcases and began to pack her clothes.

Rouge packed her things in a quick pace, fearing that he would arrive at any second.

Rouge finished packing and went downstairs, grabbing a slip of paper and a pen.

When all was said and done, she left her note on their bed.

Her suitcases in her hands, she took one last look around the house, saying goodbye to her life there.

With that, she walked out the door.

She had left him behind.

* * *

 **Hey everyone.**

 **So, sorry if you didn't like how Knuckles was in this chapter.**

 **I basically wanted to do a satire on celebrity relationships and also a point against cheating.**

 **Next chapter, we'll get back to the movies and try to lighten the mood a bit.**

 **Until then, thanks for reading.**


	20. Another Adventure In The Making

**Well then, it seems the drama is spilling over into the films. Case in point, the sequel to Adventure.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **February 1st 2000.**

The tabloids had been merciless ever since Rouge had announced her divorce from Knuckles.

Their relationship status had effected everyone else more than they thought.

Now, everyone was betting on how long Sonic and Amy's relationship would last, as well as Tails and Mina's.

However, relationship troubles wouldn't compare to the troubles the studio was facing.

With the looming threats of old rivals as well as a new one set to arrive the next year, Sega was already struggling to get back on their feet, despite their new film line and brand's massive success.

They had managed to tarnish their name in such a short amount of time.

While they were once on top and in first, it didn't last and they were now at a dismal third place.

Still, this year would be their last shot to make their comeback, and they weren't going to waste it.

The executives were gathered, all seated at a large table which stretched across the room.

"Alright everyone, as all of you know, this October marks a turning point in our business, which means over the course of spring and summer this year, we have to go all out and try to reestablish our brand and fan base." Bunnie explained.

The execs showed their reports and went over upcoming projects, both new properties and sequels to franchises they had started.

The question was, could they follow up Adventure in time?

"This is our biggest franchise, there's no way we can get a whole a film shot, edited, polished and promoted in less than a year, this isn't like the old days." One of the execs said.

Bunnie sighed, wishing it were as simple as it used to be.

"How soon can we start production?" Bunnie asked.

"We can get everything together by this March." He said.

"We've had one of our top writers working on a script since Adventure's release." Another one told her.

"I assume Rouge will be directing." Bunnie said.

"Yeah, with the press she's been getting lately, this could help progress the series even further." He said.

"Ms. Rabbot." Her assistant addressed her, as she walked in.

"Yes." Bunnie said.

"Rouge is here to see you." She said.

"Perfect, send her in." Bunnie told her.

The assistant hurried out and a minute later, Rouge entered the room.

"Rouge, good to see you, have a seat." Bunnie said.

Rouge pulled up a chair and sat down, stating her business.

"I understand that a sequel is in the works." Rouge said.

"However, as you all know, Mr. Echidna and I have had some complications in our relationship…and because of this, I do not wish to direct this film." Rouge told them.

They were all shocked, talking to each other and over each other after hearing Rouge's words, their voices filling the room.

Bunnie managed to quiet the room and granted Rouge her request.

However, Bunnie also wished for Rouge to hear the writer's pitch and Rouge agreed.

In walked a familiar face, Rouge smiling when she saw him.

"Ray!" She said, in surprise.

"It's good to see you again Rouge, haven't seen you in almost five years." Ray said.

"I know, I saw some of the films you've written for, you've really got a lot of talent." Rouge told him.

"Thank you." Ray said.

"So, you have a script for the new movie?" Rouge asked.

"Yeah, Sonic Adventure 2, I think it's my best script yet and I want you to be a part of it." Ray told her.

"What do you mean?" Rouge asked.

"I've written the part of a jewel thief with some spy overtones and I think you would be perfect for the role." Ray told her.

"Ray, I appreciate the offer, but I know Knuckles will be a part of this production and I just can't face him right now." Rouge told him.

"I know, but hear me out." Ray said.

"In this film, you and him would have a rivalry going all throughout the film, location after location, both of you trying to best each other, until finally it culminates in a fight between you and him." Ray tells her.

"You'll finally be able to face him, head on, no holding back, all of it playing out on screen without any real life problems." Ray told her.

Rouge became intrigued by the idea.

While she had managed to move on, part of her was still saddened and angered by what Knuckles had done and she wanted him to know it.

This may have been the closure she needed.

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea." Rouge said.

Ray smiled, excited to have her on board.

"Great, now all I have to do is cast the last role." Ray said.

"Last role?" Rouge asked.

"Yeah, it's one more new character I had in mind." Ray said.

"Knuckles is okay and all, but I felt like Sonic needs a real rival, someone on his level, someone to match him point for point and maybe even be stronger." Ray told her.

Rouge thought about it for a moment before a thought came to mind.

A grin appeared on her face as the thought of a dark hedgehog came to mind.

"I may know someone." Rouge said.


	21. Rivalry

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **March 8th 2000.**

"Shadow, please, production is only three days away." Rouge pleaded.

"I'm sorry but I'm still not sure about this." Shadow said.

"Shadow, please, this will be a great opportunity and it's gonna be difficult for me too, It would be nice if I had good friend to be there." Rouge told him.

Shadow sighed, still debating in his mind on what call to make.

"Tell you what, why don't you come down here and meet everyone face to face, get to know everyone?" Rouge suggested.

Shadow was hesitant but eventually agreed.

"Alright, I'll be down there in a little bit." Shadow said.

He hung up the phone and proceeded to nervously prepare.

 _"It'll be alright, besides, this'll give me a chance to have a word with Knuckles for what he did." Shadow convinced himself._

* * *

 **Sega Studios.**

"So, where are we filming this time?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, we filming in Station Square again?" Knuckles asked.

"No, we wanted to create something similar to Adventure, but for it to be more bold and all out." Ray said.

"More action, more complexity and higher stakes." Ray told them, with conviction in his voice.

"That's why we're filming in Central City." Ray added.

"No way, Central City, awesome!" Sonic shouted.

"Oh man, I can see it now, relaxing on the beach, the ocean waves, and all those women begging me for my autograph." Knuckles said.

Sonic and Ray sighed, not exactly thrilled with Knuckles' recent behavior.

"Is that all you ever think about?" Sonic asked.

"It's all that matters." Knuckles said.

Thankfully, Rouge walked in the next moment, Ray excusing himself to talk to her.

Knuckles' attention immediately turned to his ex wife, slightly irritated and regretful as he looked.

However, those feelings turned to pure anger as someone else walked in and joined Rouge.

"Who's he?" Knuckles asked, gritting his teeth as he did.

"Oh, Rouge mentioned she was bringing her friend in, she wanted him to meet us and get him to join the movie." Sonic told him.

Knuckles crossed his arms, grumbling to himself.

"What make's him so special?" Knuckles said, with a scowl on his face.

After talking with Ray, Rouge and Shadow made their way towards Sonic and Knuckles.

"Control yourself, just try to be courteous." Sonic whispered.

"No promises." Knuckles whispered back.

"Hey, Sonic, Knuckles, I'd like you to meet Shadow The Hedgehog." Rouge introduced him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two." Shadow said, extending his hand out to shake.

Sonic shook his hand, happily.

"The pleasure is all ours, right Knuckles?" Sonic said.

Knuckles glared at Sonic a bit before shaking Shadow's hand as well.

"Right." Knuckles said.

More awkward silence followed, until finally Sonic had had enough.

"So, Shadow, are you gonna take the part?" Sonic asked.

"Still debating over it, I have been trying to get roles, I'm just not sure that this one is right for me." Shadow told him.

"Believe me, even I felt that way when I started out, but over time, everything just clicked." Sonic said.

"He's just afraid that we're gonna show him up on screen." Knuckles said.

Shadow shot a glare at Knuckles and what happened next would shock both of them, as well as Rouge.

Shadow rocketed away from them at a speed unmatched, blasting them all backward due to the sonic boom.

Shadow sped across the entire studio within seconds, creating a windstorm in his wake.

No one had seen anything like this since Sonic's audition, all those years back.

Shadow came to an immediate stop in front of them, no screeching to a halt or any problem in stopping.

It was almost like he was gliding.

"I think I can keep up." Shadow said.

Sonic and Rouge were astounded by the hedgehog's display, Knuckles just frustrated that he was just shown up.

"Dude, you have to do the movie now." Sonic said, still amazed.

Shadow sighed and said he still wasn't sure.

"Alright then, we'll settle this my way." Sonic said.

Sonic got into running position.

"I'll race you, you win, you make the call, I win, you do the movie." Sonic said.

Shadow thought about it for a moment, amused by the idea.

"Very well then, let's see which one of us is faster." Shadow said.

Shadow took his place beside him and prepared.

"Rouge, start us off." Sonic said.

Rouge smiled and obliged.

"On your marks." She said.

"Get set." She said.

Anticipation and adrenaline built up in both racers as Rouge called out that last word.

"Go!"


	22. Mishaps

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **March 11th 2000.**

"Hurry up Shadow, we're going to be late." Rouge called out.

Not a second later, Shadow came running down the stairs, was out the door and in his car in the blink of an eye.

"You were saying?" Shadow said, with a smirk.

Rouge gave him an unamused look, but cracked a smile.

Shadow had offered to drive Rouge to the set, to which she happily agreed.

It was the little things he did for her that helped her through this tough time.

"Hey, Rouge?" Shadow spoke up.

"Yes?" Rouge replied.

"Do you really think I have what it takes to be in this movie?" Shadow asked for her honest opinion.

Rouge didn't even hesitate, looking him right in the eye as the car came to a stop.

"I do." Rouge answered, in an almost whisper like voice.

Shadow and Rouge looked at each other, noticing that there was something there, an odd but welcoming feeling.

Rouge vaguely recognized it, having felt a similar way with Knuckles, but never to this degree.

Shadow on the other hand knew exactly where this was going and turned away just in time.

 _"She may be beautiful, but she's your friend and fellow actor first, we have to keep things professional." Shadow reasoned in his mind._

But of course, Shadow knew he couldn't even convince himself, he would fall, just like that.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Production had begun, Sonic Adventure 2 was under way and it seemed like it was going to be just as enjoyable to make as the first one was.

Sonic had been hyped ever since he had heard what his first scene was going to be.

"Hey, Ray, where's my parachute, is it gonna be on the cargo plane?" Sonic asked.

"What parachute?" Ray asked.

"You know, for when I escape." Sonic said.

"Uhh, Sonic, there is no parachute, you're jumping out without one." Ray told him.

Just then, Sonic's face turned pale.

"What?!" Sonic said, in shock.

"Yeah, didn't anyone tell you?" Ray asked.

Sonic shook his head no.

"Alright, don't worry, it's a simple procedure." Ray said.

"That part of the plane will burst open, you'll hop out and grab hold, you'll grab a piece of it and use it as a snowboard or in this case sky board, do a cool pose for the camera and then hurdle down back towards the city below, where you'll then escape through the city." Ray guided him through it.

"Oh yeah, real simple." Sonic said, sarcastically.

"Relax, you've done stunts like this before and there's only a thirty percent chance you'll be injured." Ray said, walking away.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Sonic said, hardly believing it.

"What's wrong?" Tails asked.

"Apparently they're going to need an ambulance." Sonic said.

"Why, who got hurt?!" Tails asked, worriedly.

"If it goes how I think it's going to, then me." Sonic said.

* * *

 **Later.**

As the cargo plane took off, the cast and crew watched on in anticipation, Amy being the most concerned and stressed.

"Relax, he'll be fine." Ray said.

"If he doesn't make it, I'm introducing your face to my hammer." Amy threatened.

Ray started to sweat, casting his stare to the plane.

 _"Please make it." Ray thought._

As Sonic appeared in their view, barely hanging on, everyone's eyes followed as he soared downward.

"Are the cameras ready?" Someone asked.

"Yeah, is the truck set?" Someone else asked.

They got a nod of confirmation and everyone turned their sights to the video footage, taking place in the city.

Sonic began his descent downward, narrowly avoiding vehicles, jumping ramps and grinding on rails.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Knuckles exclaimed.

"Yeah, Sonic's got skills, I'll give him that." Shadow said.

Just then an intern came rushing towards them, out of breath, with a look of regret on his face.

"We have a problem!" He said, panicking.

"What happened?" Ray asked.

"We've lost control of the truck." The intern said.

"What?!" Ray shouted.

"We had a malfunction, it's barreling out of control." The intern told them.

Ray looked back at the screen, seeing Sonic was almost there.

"Quick, someone tell him to get out of there!" Ray yelled.

"It's too late, he's already reached the mark." Rouge said.

The truck began to demolish every car in it's path.

No matter how fast Sonic ran, that truck seemed to be right behind him, getting closer and closer.

 _"I know they wanted more action, but this is intense." Sonic thought._

"You think he's gonna make it?" Knuckles asked.

"He will, I know he will." Amy said.

Ray noticed that the whole crew had stopped to watch, actually applauding Sonic, all of them with no idea that this wasn't scripted.

"This movie is gonna be awesome." One of them said.

"You said it, I can't wait to see that space scene on screen, remember that final fight in Sonic 3?" Another one mentioned.

"Dude, that was the best." One of them said.

As Ray overheard them, he realized that Sonic may not have been in his prime anymore, but he was still capable of taking on the worst situations and that maybe, this accident could have happened for the better.

"He'll make it." Ray said.


	23. Decision and Indecision

**Okay, time for a new chapter, but before it begins, I'd just like to thank the supporters, the friends and everyone who makes this all worth it. I'd also like to thank the guest who left their comment on the chapter before this, reading that made my day. Your dedication and enthusiasm is amazing and it's an honor to have you as a fan. With all that said, let's continue.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

"Cut." Ray said.

Everyone seemed to collectively breathe a sigh of relief as Sonic survived his encounter with the truck.

Amy rushed to Sonic, embracing him tightly.

"Amy, calm down, it's alright, it was just a stunt." Sonic told her.

Amy looked at him, a mix of emotions shown on her face as she did.

"Well, Sonic, you know, it's a funny story." Ray said.

Ray's nervous laughter made Sonic wonder what he meant.

"There may have been a little incident with the effects and the truck may have actually been chasing you." Ray said, through the awkward laughs.

Amy glared at Ray, willing to teach him a lesson.

"It's nothing to laugh about, right Sonic?" Amy said.

As Amy looked up at Sonic, she saw an expression on his face she had never seen before.

His jaw was hanging down, his eyes were basically bulging out with how open they were and his stare was just lifeless.

"Sonic?" Amy said.

Amy waved her hand in front of him and snapped her fingers.

No response, no blinking or flinching, nothing.

Amy sighed, picking up an unmoving Sonic and throwing him over her shoulder, carrying him away.

"Well, I think that's lunch everybody." Ray said.

Ray sighed and slumped down onto his chair.

"How did I get into this?" Ray asked himself.

"How did you get into this?" Shadow asked.

"It was a last minute decision, Rouge was supposed to direct but there was some back and forth dispute with the executives and we both agreed it would be better for her if she didn't have to deal with the responsibilities at the moment, what with the whole fiasco with Knuckles and all." Ray explained.

"So, you don't feel you're going to do well?" Shadow asked.

"Well, it's the first film I've ever directed, it's my first day on the job and already I've put the life of the studio's biggest star on the line, so yeah, not much confidence there." Ray said.

"You had faith in Sonic, you knew he would make it." Shadow said.

"Rouge seems to have the same faith in you, and aside from Knuckles, I don't believe she misplaces her trust." Shadow told him.

"This is your chance, it's your script, bring it to life." Shadow told him.

"Shadow!" Rouge called him over.

"Good luck." Shadow said.

Ray seemed to contemplate his words.

 _"He's right, I have to step up and take more responsibility, I can't take this lightly, the studio, Sonic, Rouge, everyone else, they're all counting on me." Ray thought._

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Bunnie had been going over the monthly reports, an expression of disappointment on her face.

That's when the phone rang.

Bunnie hesitated, her hand hovering over the phone, almost not wanting to answer but knowing she would have to.

Eventually, she broke down and picked up the phone, anticipating who's voice would be on the other line.

"Well Ms. Rabbot, have you decided to accept our offer?" The man on the phone asked.

Bunnie waited a few seconds, not answering.

She tapped her fingers on the desk a couple of times and looked down at the report again.

Bunnie shook her head and gave him an answer.

"I'll consider it, we still have almost a year to gross enough to stay afloat." Bunnie told him.

"Very well then, suit yourself, the offer still stands whenever you're ready." The man said and hung up.

Bunnie put the phone back down and put her head in her hands, sighing again.

"One more shot." Bunnie said, repeating it over and over to herself, reminding herself of the possibilities to come, be them good or not quite so ideal.


	24. New Friend

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **May 29th 2000.**

Production seemed to be going well, despite the rough start.

The rest of the city scenes had been filmed, everyone being mobbed by fans asking for autographs and photos between filming.

Summer had begun and it was time to pack up and take production on the road.

While Adventure had mostly been filmed in the city of Station Square and built sets, they were determined to make this one bigger.

They would be filming on location, taking the cast and crew out to different environments, including the jungle, the harsh desert, an abandoned island prison and a few more.

"This is great, we haven't done a space battle in years." Sonic said.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask, what exactly do they do when you go super, do they dye your fur or is it lighting?" Shadow asked.

"It's actually computer animated, it looked really weird back when we first used it, but after awhile you get used to how it looks." Sonic told him.

"Hey, you two are needed on set." One of the stagehands told them.

"You ready?" Sonic asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Shadow said.

As Sonic and Shadow walked on set, they remained unaware of one little mistake.

That same stagehand had left their coffee by the audio equipment and as they walked away, the stagehand had taken a fall, knocking the coffee over, causing it to spill inside the machine.

"Oh no." The stagehand said.

The stagehand looked around to see if anyone had noticed his blunder.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly grabbed a rag and wiped up the remaining coffee, leaving no trace to be found.

"It's probably okay." He told himself and walked off.

* * *

 **Later.**

"I can't believe he had you call me faker, I mean what are we, little hedgehogs?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, and what was up with you saying, I'm the coolest after I attacked you?" Sonic questioned.

"I know, that's like the most random thing I could've said." Shadow said.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, Ray can write a good script, but this dialogue is kind of a mess." Sonic said.

"To be fair, could any of us write a better one?" Shadow asked.

"Good point." Sonic said.

As Shadow continued to talk to Sonic, his phone went off, interrupting them.

Shadow looked, seeing that it was Rouge.

"Hey, are you busy?" Rouge asked.

"No, we just finished the last scene for the day." Shadow told her.

"What's up?" Shadow asked.

"Not much, it's just that there's this party later tonight, with a lot of celebrities showing up, so I was wondering if you would be my date?" Rouge asked him.

"Of course." Shadow replied, without a second thought.

"Great, I'll see you tonight, dress formally." Rouge told him.

Shadow ended the call, looking over to see Sonic with a smirk on his face.

"What?" Shadow asked.

"So, you and Rouge?" Sonic said, nudging him with his elbow.

"Unfortunately not." Shadow remarked.

"But, you obviously have a thing for her." Sonic said.

"Be that as it may, she's still going through a rough time, she needs a friend right now, not a rebound." Shadow told him.

"That's why I've decided to keep our relationship professional, as nothing more than friends." Shadow exclaimed.

Sonic looked at Shadow, with a newfound respect for him.

While most guys would have jumped at the chance or taken advantage of the situation, Shadow acted honorably and decided to put her feelings and well being first.

Sonic knew those feelings all too well, putting Amy before himself as well.

"Well then, have a good time tonight." Sonic told him.

"Thanks." Shadow said.


	25. Interview

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **June 1st 2000.**

"Hey everybody, welcome back to the show, I'm your host, Bean the Dynamite and right now we've got a special guest for you tonight." Bean announced.

"That's right, Sonic the Hedgehog is here." Bean said.

Instantly the audience inside went crazy, applauding and cheering as soon as Bean mentioned his name.

"He's gonna give us a little inside scoop on his new movie, plus we've got an exclusive sneak peak, so here he is, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Bean said.

Sonic walked on stage, the sound of the crowd almost overwhelming him, not having done an actual live appearance since his so called prime.

Sonic took a seat on the couch, Bean at his desk, just laughing at the crowds reaction.

"I do this show every week and don't get nearly half that reaction." Bean said, making the audience laugh a little.

"No, but in all seriousness, I've worked with this guy at his lowest point and even then it was still awesome to work with him." Bean said.

Bean shook Sonic's hand as the crowd applauded again.

"So, first things first, let's talk about your love life." Bean said.

Everyone in the audience collectively made the same noise, so entertained by Sonic's reaction.

"You knew this was coming, dude." Bean said.

"Yeah." Sonic said.

"Alright, first of all, you're married now." Bean said.

"That's right." Sonic said, happily, as he pointed to the ring on his finger.

The audience applauded again at that.

"So, you and Amy have been together for a long time now, is it weird working with her, because her character is basically obsessed with you?" Bean asked.

"No, it was only weird at first when we weren't dating, like on the set of Sonic CD when she constantly hugged me, it was a bit awkward for the both of us, but after awhile it just started to click." Sonic said.

"Alright, now there has been a bit of drama on set I hear." Bean brought up.

"A lot of tension between Rouge and Knuckles, a lot of effects going haywire, how do you feel about the production and all these problems?" Bean asked.

"Honestly, I think we've been through a lot of tougher situations and we come out on top every time, so I think that we'll get through this no problem." Sonic said.

"So, what everyone wants to know is, who is this Shadow guy and what's his plan?" Bean asked.

"Well, I don't want to give too much away, you gotta go see the movie to get the full story, but I will say that not everything is what it seems, there is a lot of misunderstanding about my character and Shadow's character in everyone's view, I think that our characters in this one have more depth and story behind them, the stakes are a lot higher, the action is more intense, I think it's gonna be great and it's something you have to see to believe." Sonic said.

The audience applauded that, excited for the new film, Sonic building the hype even further.

"Well, we've got a sneak peak right here, a clip from the film, take a look." Bean said.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Amy sat at home, watching the interview, when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Amy said.

"Amy, it's Rouge." Rouge said.

"Hey, what's up?" Amy asked.

There was a period of silence on the line for about ten seconds before Rouge answered.

"I need your help." Rouge said.


	26. Troubles

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **June 2nd 2000.**

Amy arrived where Rouge was staying, at about one in the morning, Rouge already having fresh coffee ready for the both of them.

Rouge had seemed on edge, dark circles under her eyes, expressing her exhaustion and anxiety.

"Rouge, what's wrong?" Amy asked, out of concern.

Rouge simply walked to the living room, motioning for Amy to take a seat, which Amy did.

Rouge pressed a button on the answering machine and a message began to play.

"Hey Rouge, it's Knuckles… are you there?" Knuckles said.

They heard him sigh and start talking again.

"Listen, I've been thinking about everything and… I was wondering if we could talk, see where it goes and maybe… give it another try." Knuckles said.

"Call me back when you hear this message." Knuckles said.

"Bye." Knuckles said, and the message came to an end.

Amy looked at Rouge, who was nervously shaking as she sipped her coffee.

"Rouge." Amy said.

Amy walked over, taking the cup out of her hand and placing her hands on Rouge's shoulders.

"Calm down, breath." Amy said.

Rouge nodded.

"Alright, now, first things first, what are you going to do?" Amy asked.

Rouge had been thinking about it the entire day since she had heard that message, still having no clear answer.

"I don't know." Rouge said.

* * *

 **June 9th 2000.**

A week had passed and Rouge had still not made her decision, avoiding Knuckles both on and off set.

However, that would prove difficult, as today would be their fight scene, taking place in space.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Knuckles had made it public that he had planned to get back together with Rouge, resulting in the tabloid speculation on the matter, including stories which brought Shadow in as a rival to Knuckles for Rouge's choice.

But the studio seemed to love it, as it brought more attention to the new film as well as get the fans excited.

The fans seemed to be split on who they liked with Rouge more and for Knuckles, who basically didn't like Shadow already, this was a sign that he had to take action.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Bunnie was sitting in her office, two employees as well as Ray walking in, looks of shame on their faces.

"You said you had bad news." Bunnie said.

"Yes, Ms. Rabbot." One of them said.

"Due to a critical error on our part, we were unaware of an issue with our audio equipment on the Sonic Adventure 2 set." The other one said.

Bunnie looked at them, uneasiness setting in.

"We weren't able to salvage the audio from the footage we've shot so far." Ray said.

Bunnie stood up and faced the window.

"Four months of footage down the drain." Bunnie said, holding back her anger and sadness.

Bunnie turned around, the conflicting emotions present on her face.

"Do we have any form of solution?" Bunnie asked.

"I put some cash in for time in a recording studio, we can record the dialogue from there and edit it in, but we'll also have to edit all the footage we've got so far, not to mention we have to buy new audio equipment." Ray told her.

"How much time and money do we need?" Bunnie asked.

"We can get the new equipment by next week, we'll have to hold off on filming until then, but overall, we'll need another million to get the total cost covered." Ray said.

Bunnie sighed and looked at Ray, who still looked regretful.

"There's more, isn't there?" Bunnie said.

Ray nodded.

"We unfortunately… won't be able to make the December release date." Ray told her, hesitantly.

"What?!" Bunnie shouted, in surprise.

The three of them backed up in intimidation.

"Sorry." Bunnie said, regaining her composure.

"Yes, unfortunately, we have to push back the release date to next summer." Ray said.

Bunnie, beginning to feel a migraine, asked that they leave her office.

As the three of them left, Bunnie fell back onto her seat.

 _"We're not gonna make it." Bunnie thought._

* * *

 **With Sonic.**

Sonic seemed to be steering clear of the drama, having had his fair share in the past.

With the delay on filming, Sonic had decided to return back to his hometown and check up on his family.

His dad and Aleena seemed to be doing well, still happily married.

Manic and Sonia had actually started playing instruments, performing for their friends at school.

"Wow, you two actually sound good." Sonic said.

"Yeah, we're gonna be as famous as you one day." Manic said.

"We'll see." Sonic said, with a smile.

"Sonic, there's a call for you downstairs, it's Amy." Aleena told him.

"Thanks." Sonic said.

Sonic went downstairs, answering the phone, to hear a panicked Amy on the line.

"Amy, slow down, what's going on?" Sonic asked.

"Sonic, there's been an accident." Amy said.


	27. Not Giving Up

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

Sonic pushed open the hospital doors, his eyes darting around to look for his friends.

"Sonic." Amy called out.

Sonic saw Amy down at the end of the hall, walking over and holding her close right after.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked.

"I'm fine." Amy assured him.

Sonic backed up, his hands still on her shoulders.

"What happened, is everyone alright?" Sonic asked her.

"Most of us are fine." Amy said, with a strange expression on her face.

"Most?" Sonic questioned.

Amy motioned for Sonic to follow her, which he did, still curious and worried as to what she had meant by most.

As Sonic and Amy made it to a room, Amy opened the door slowly, preparing Sonic as well as not wanting to disturb anyone else.

When Sonic walked in, he was shocked at what he saw.

Shadow and Knuckles, both confined to beds by injuries, bandages wrapped around various parts of their bodies.

"What happened?" Sonic asked, still slightly in shock.

"One minute Shadow was talking with Rouge, the next thing we knew, Knuckles showed up and started an argument with both of them." Amy explained.

"After awhile, it started to get out of hand and Knuckles attacked him." Amy continued.

Sonic's fists clenched in anger and frustration.

 _"He went too far this time." Sonic thought._

"When the fight broke out, everyone started to clear the set, we were all scared of getting in the way." Amy said.

"Some of the equipment got destroyed, one thing lead to another and before we knew it, they were both being crushed underneath the lights." Amy said, still distraught, having to remember what she had witnessed.

Sonic held Amy close again, the doctor walking in a few moments later.

"Hey, are my friends gonna be okay?" Sonic asked him.

"We're doing everything we can, they've both received massive injuries to the head, the hedgehog is in stable condition albeit with a broken leg, as for the echidna, he has a broken wrist and a damaged spine, we're not sure what his condition will be when he wakes up." The doctor explains.

Sonic didn't know what to say, looking away from everyone, his gaze set towards the floor at an angle.

"I suggest you leave them to rest, we'll contact you if there any changes in their conditions." The doctor said.

Sonic nodded and walked out with Amy.

Looking up at the sky, he thought about the two of them and despite the conflict between them, he had still hoped for better.

* * *

 **June 12th 2000.**

Bunnie had called the main cast and crew in to address the matters at hand.

"Thank you all for coming." Bunnie said.

Everyone took their seats at the table, either keeping their looks on Bunnie or downward, avoiding direct eye contact if they could.

"As you all know, we've recently encountered many setbacks, hindering the production greatly and now endangering the lives of our friends." Bunnie stated.

"With these incidents in mind, we have decided to offer you a choice." Bunnie said.

Everyone looked at her, with curiosity.

"Rouge." Bunnie said.

Everyone turned their sights to Rouge.

It was obvious that Rouge was still emotionally struggling, her eyes showing signs of countless tears and lack of sleep.

Rouge stood up and began her announcement.

"As all of you know, I've recently had some relationship troubles with one of the men in particular, I originally had not intended to join the cast on this film, but I was convinced and I have no regrets." Rouge started, her voice giving out a few times.

"I've loved working with all of you, but right now, I can't afford to be here, it's become too much of a danger for myself and for everyone else involved." Rouge said.

"Which is why, I'm stepping away and leaving the film." Rouge stated.

To her surprise, no one looked shocked by her announcement, instead giving her sad smiles of sympathy.

"Sonic, don't worry, I'll still be managing and looking out for you, but for now, I need to get away." Rouge told him.

Sonic nodded in understanding, getting out of his chair and walking over to hug her.

"Thank you, Rouge, take all the time you need, we're all here for you whenever you need us." Sonic whispered to her.

Rouge smiled and hugged him back.

"Best of luck to you, Miss Rouge." Bunnie said.

"So, what's this about an option?" Ray asked.

"As I said before, this production had been stalled and encountered many issues, however, with one of the cast leaving and two others hospitalized, we realized that this production itself may not come to fruition." Bunnie stated.

"What are you saying?" Ray questioned.

"I'm saying that, if any of you wish to leave now, nobody will judge your decision, we're prepared to cancel production on the film." Bunnie told them.

Everyone looked at each other, contemplating on what decision they would make.

Finally, Sonic spoke up.

"I'm not quitting, we've put a lot of hard work into making this movie and we owe it to Rouge, Shadow, Knuckles, all the fans and to ourselves to see it gets made." Sonic said.

"I'm not quitting either." Tails said.

"Same here, my vision is getting put on the big screen one way or another." Ray said.

"I'm in too." Amy said.

The rest of the crew joined in.

"With three cast members out of commission, we'll need to work around it, not to mention the audio issues." Bunnie said.

"I'll work around it, we can extend the scenes with Sonic and Tails, as well as add in some extras I had to cut out." Ray said.

"Is that alright with you guys?" Ray asked.

"Sure." Sonic said.

"No problem." Tails said.

"As for the audio, we'll get the equipment in soon, Sonic can record his lines as soon as possible, Rouge, you think you can record your lines for us?" Ray asked.

"Sure, it's the least I can do." Rouge said.

"I have a some recording equipment in my apartment, it's not high quality but she can record her lines there before she leaves." Ray said.

"Good, any word on Knuckles and Shadow?" Bunnie asked.

"I got a call from the hospital this morning." Rouge said.

"They told me that they're both awake and healing slowly." Rouge told them.

That statement seemed to ease some of the tension in the room, everyone still hoping for their recovery.

"Well then, let's get back to work." Bunnie said with a smile.

Sonic Adventure 2, despite all the troubles, would continue on.


	28. Keep Dreaming

**Well, we all saw this one coming. Another one of the biggest turning points in the Sonic franchise. Don't know what to say except, on with the story.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the Dreamcast, the Dreamcast is owned and trademarked by Sega._

* * *

 **December 30th 2000.**

Filming for Sonic Adventure 2 had finally come to an end.

Over the course of that time, Shadow and Knuckles had recovered and returned to film their remaining scenes, with precautions taken by the crew of course.

It seemed like Sega was going to have another hit on their hands, and they would, but with a few alterations.

Bunnie had invited Sonic out for a drink, saying it was merely just to catch up and hang out.

She had hoped he would take the news well.

"Bunnie, are you alright?" Sonic asked.

Bunnie looked at him, eye to eye, wondering why it was so difficult to tell him.

She had told the staff and the rest of the cast and yet Sonic seemed to be a challenge.

Maybe it was because he basically put them on the map or maybe it was because he was Sega's icon, like you couldn't have one without the other.

But she knew he would find out eventually, so better now than later.

"I'm fine, it's just that, we've had a recent development at Sega." Bunnie started.

"Development?" Sonic asked.

"Yes, you see, over these last few years we've been in financial trouble and despite the Dreamcast line's success, we haven't been able to recoup our losses." Bunnie explained.

"Well… there's always next year, we've got Sonic Adventure 2 coming out in the summer, I bet we'll make enough then." Sonic told her, unaware of how much more complicated the issue was.

"Sonic, I'm afraid that, we don't have enough funding to make it through the year on our own." Bunnie told him.

"What are you saying?" Sonic questioned.

"I'm saying, we can't keep going on like we have, we're selling the company." Bunnie told him, saying it as simple as possible, as it all sounded wrong in her head.

"What?!" Sonic said, in surprise.

"Don't worry, we'll still be making different movies and we'll still be in control, but, we'll be making them for the other studios." Bunnie explained.

Sonic sighed, the words Bunnie spoke still not fully registering with him.

So many years of working for Sega and their campaigns mocking the competition, oh the irony.

Sonic took a slow sip of his drink, looked at his reflection in the glass for a second and then looked at Bunnie.

"This'll save everyone's jobs and keep all the films going?" Sonic asked.

Bunnie didn't answer for a moment, looking elsewhere while resting her right arm on the booth table.

After a little more time, Bunnie answered yes.

"Well then, it may seem strange but, if it'll keep everyone going, then I guess it's for the best." Sonic said.

* * *

 **January 31st 2001.**

After months of rumor and speculation, Bunnie had called a press conference to set the record straight on where Sega stood and what their plans were.

"Thank you all for coming, as many of you know, recently at Sega we've been undergoing changes." Bunnie began.

"These changes have brought on innovation and new ideas for future projects, and with that potential there must also come some new approaches." Bunnie stated.

"After much negotiation and deliberation, I am here to announce today that Sega will no longer be a major studio." Bunnie announced.

At this announcement, the press went into an uproar, shocked gasps and a million different questions were all that was heard, until they were quieted down.

"Yes, Sega will be becoming a third party studio, we will continue to create and distribute our films along with a main distributor and certain franchises will go to certain studios." Bunnie explained.

"Thanks to this new funding, we will be able to release the remaining films of the Dreamcast line throughout the rest of the year, however, we will be officially closing the doors on Dreamcast development, this March." Bunnie continued.

"All in all, this will be a new beginning for Sega and will bring in a whole new audience." Bunnie said.

When all was said and done, the conference ended, the news was out.

The dream was over.


	29. Still Going Strong

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **June 18th 2001.**

Sega had pulled out all the stops for the release of Sonic Adventure 2.

Heavy promotion for both it and the tenth anniversary of the franchise, a simultaneous release worldwide and live coverage of the premieres across the world.

It may have been the end of an era, but they were going out on a high note.

"I can't believe in just five days the first movie is gonna be a decade old." Sonic said.

"Yeah, doesn't seem like that long ago." Tails said.

"Are you kidding?" Knuckles asked, rhetorically.

"That seemed like ages ago, especially with what happened to you, back then." Knuckles said, obviously referring to Sonic's spiral out of control.

"Can we not talk about that?" Sonic asked, the memories still vivid in his mind.

"Fine, but speaking of which, Tails, I've been wondering, how come you didn't take that solo deal back then?" Knuckles asked.

"Solo deal?" Sonic asked.

"After I did those television specials, the executives approached me and asked if I wanted to do a solo movie." Tails told him.

"They offered him a lot of money, I still say he should've taken it." Knuckles said.

"I turned it down, it just didn't feel right being on my own and besides that, I kind of wanted to get out of the spotlight for awhile and focus on my life." Tails explained.

"Trust me, you made the right call, but I'm still glad you came back." Sonic said.

"Thanks." Tails said, with a smile.

"Hey." Shadow said, as he walked in.

Sonic and Tails immediately turned their sights to Knuckles, ready to take action at a moments notice.

Knuckles stood up, walking towards Shadow, staring him dead in the eye.

Knuckles sighed, extending his hand out, surprising the other three.

"Are we cool?" Knuckles asked.

Shadow looked over at Sonic and Tails for a moment, then back to Knuckles.

Shadow accepted, shaking his hand.

"Yeah, we're cool." Shadow said.

"Hey, I'd hate to interrupt this moving moment, but they want us out there right now." Ray told them.

"I guess this is it, do you think they'll like the movie?" Tails asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't they?" Sonic asked.

"Well, the audio is still kind of a mess." Tails said.

"Don't remind me." Shadow said.

"Hey, we still made a good movie, now come on, let's give the people what they want." Sonic said.

As the four of them walked out, the fanfare began.

Those all too familiar flashing lights and applause surrounding them.

At least, familiar to the main three.

Shadow stood there, overwhelmed by all of the focus set on him, the atmosphere making it harder to breath.

Sonic quickly noticed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's not easy when you start." Sonic whispered.

Shadow looked up at Sonic, who then gestured to the crowd.

Shadow looked out, seeing who was there, outside of the press.

Suddenly, the others came more into focus, the fans cheering for them.

But what got to him, was the fact that some of them were cheering specifically for him, some even combing their quills up or dyed red.

"Shadow, I love you!" One of the women screamed.

The screams could be heard by everyone, countless women holding up signs, saying they loved him.

They hadn't even seen him on screen yet and already the fans were crazy for him.

"Well, seems like someone's pretty popular." Sonic said, humorously.

Shadow smirked, calming down, the anxiety still present but controllable.

"I guess." Shadow said, walking off to talk to the press.

After that, Sonic was approached by the press as well, different microphones pushed into his face.

"Hey, guys, take it easy, one at a time." Sonic said, motioning for them to back off.

"Mr. Hedgehog, now that Sega has gone third party, is it true that you will be doing a movie with, you know who?" The reporter asked, not even saying his name, as to point of how unbelievable it seemed.

Sonic laughed a little at his question before answering.

"Yeah, it's in the works, but that won't be for awhile." Sonic said.

Sonic chose another reporter from the crowd.

"Yes, Mr. Hedgehog, what is your current relationship status with Amy Rose?" The reporter asked.

Audible noises and whistling could be heard from the crowd, like a romantic moment in a sitcom.

"We're still together, still going strong." Sonic said.

Some rolled their eyes, still not believing that a couple could last that long, while the fans just liked the fact that they were still together even after all this time.

"One more question, then I've got to get going." Sonic said, choosing one more from the crowd.

"Mr. Hedgehog, is there anything you want to say to everyone watching tonight?" The reporter asked.

"Yeah, I just want to say thank you all so much, from the very beginning I've loved all the fans, even at my worst you were all there for me, you all are so amazing." Sonic said.

"I want to thank all the directors, Mighty wherever you are buddy, thank you so much, Ms. Rabbot, one of the kindest women I've ever met." Sonic continued.

"Lastly, I want to thank Rouge, who sadly could not be here with us tonight." Sonic said.

"Rouge, if you're watching, you mean so much… to all of us." Sonic said, stopping as he started to tear up a bit.

"Ever since that first day on set, you've looked out for me." Sonic said, stopping again, sniffling and wiping away a few tears.

"You're one of my best friends, I love you, tonight, this one is for you." Sonic said.

Sonic walked away from the cameras from there, Shadow patting him on the back while the fans and press were all moved by his words.

"Are you alright?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Sonic said.

"No worries, we miss her too." Shadow said.

Shadow's look slightly changed as he said that, leaning more towards an almost sad look.

"Hey, what're we waiting for?!" Knuckles called out.

Sonic and Shadow chuckled at Knuckles.

"I swear, that echidna has no patience." Shadow said.

"Yeah, he never has." Sonic said.

Sonic and Shadow turned around, looking out at the crowd one more time.

"Ready?" Shadow asked.

"Ready." Sonic said.


	30. His Plan

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **December, 2001.**

With another year coming to an end and production on Sonic Advance finished, everyone had been wondering the same thing.

What was next?

The studio had set the release date for Sonic Advance for that February, but hadn't announced any other projects.

Ironically, it seemed like things were starting to slow down, but for Sonic, that might've been the best news he could hear.

"A vacation?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, just you and me." Sonic said.

"I don't know." Amy said.

"Come on, it's been awhile since we've had time to ourselves, I love being back on screen, but I want to spend some time with my wife, take some time away from work, go somewhere to relax and just be with you." Sonic confessed.

"Well, when you put it like that." Amy said.

Amy kissed him on the cheek and told him yes.

"Alright, I'll go make the arrangements." Sonic told her.

Before Sonic could even pick up the phone, it started to ring.

 _"Please don't be work, please don't be work." Sonic hoped._

"Hello." He answered.

"Hey." Rouge said, over the line.

"Rouge, how've you been?!" Sonic said, excitedly.

"I've been doing alright." Rouge said.

"By the way, I saw the premiere event." Rouge mentioned.

Sonic didn't say a word, he just smiled, knowing where Rouge was going with it.

"I didn't know you cared so much." Rouge teased him.

"You know I do." Sonic said, honestly.

"Well I care about you too." Rouge said.

"Speaking of caring, how're you and Amy holding up?" Rouge asked.

"We're doing good, we have some time off so we're taking a little vacation." Sonic told her.

"Oh, where to?" Rouge asked.

"Well, it's this lake house that Tails and Mina own, they said we can use it while she's on tour." Sonic told her.

"That honestly sounds really nice right about now." Rouge said, putting a more exhausted tone into her voice.

"You could always ask Shadow, I heard he's heading for the beach." Sonic suggested.

Sonic heard Rouge sigh and then the click.

 _"Guess she's still worried." Sonic thought._

Sonic dialed Tails' number to tell him about what he had planned, a little detail he hadn't had the chance to mention to Rouge.

An old friend of Amy's had wanted to see her and of course, Sonic was more than happy to help.


	31. A New Addition

**Okay, another short chapter this time, but also another introduction. Don't worry, the chapters will get longer again when we get to the next big game, which is pretty soon.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **January, 2002.**

Sonic and Amy had arrived at the lake house that morning, staring in awe at the view.

The winter snow coating the forest, the lake frozen over and the house just waiting for their presence.

As they exited the car, Sonic breathed in the fresh air, having a reminder of the snowy days back home.

"It's amazing." Amy said, in admiration.

"Yeah." Sonic said.

As Sonic and Amy entered the house, Sonic quickly got a fire started for Amy.

The day went by, Sonic and Amy in each other's embrace, falling asleep in each other's arms, bathed by the glow of the flames.

By the afternoon, Amy had awoken.

Amy kissed Sonic on the cheek and went outside to put on her skates.

 _"I knew these would come in handy one day." Amy thought._

As Amy built up speed, she gracefully skated across the frozen lake, performing different techniques.

Unknown to her, Sonic had woken up, lovingly watching her.

"I'm surprised, I didn't think you could be this light on your feet." Sonic teased her.

Amy stopped and just smirked, skating back up to him.

"Who knows, maybe you'll be a professional skater for the games one day, maybe win yourself a medal." Sonic said.

"Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen." Amy said.

Sonic chuckled and then put his plan into action.

"Hey, I've got to head out for a minute, I'll be back." Sonic told her.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked.

"Just heading out to get you something." Sonic said.

"What?" Amy asked.

"It's a surprise." Sonic said.

Amy nodded, Sonic kissing her and then taking the car.

As he drove away, Amy continued her skating, making the shape of a heart in the ice.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

"Yes, the rerelease of Adventure 2 is going to be great, I guarantee you it will do much better than before." Bunnie said, over the phone.

She conversed back and forth on the projects ahead.

"Just add whatever subtitle, it won't make much difference." Bunnie said.

"Fine, battle it is, now, how goes the search for finding a new character for Sonic Advance 2?" She asked.

"What do you mean you haven't found anyone yet?!" Bunnie shouted.

"Sorry, sorry, but we need to start filming this fall, we need to find someone perfect for the role." Bunnie said.

* * *

 **Back with Amy.**

Amy looked out the window as the headlights of the car appeared.

The car drove up, Sonic parking the car and exiting it, to her surprise, not alone.

Sonic opened the passenger door, letting someone out and helping them through the snow.

Amy couldn't see who it was in the dark, only their outline from the faint amount of light.

However, she had recognized those rabbit ears.

 _"Is that?" Amy thought._

Sonic opened the door, seeing Amy's expression, he knew that she knew.

"Come on in." Sonic said.

As the girl walked through the door, Amy's expression became brighter.

"Cream." Amy said.

Cream smiled, lowering her jacket hood, showing Amy how much she had changed.

"It's been awhile." Cream said.


	32. Something Simple

**Okay. I wanted to start this note off, with a little fact. This next Sonic game in this story, was actually the first one I ever played. Thirteen years ago today, I was introduced to this franchise and these characters and I owe it all to this game. That game was Sonic Heroes.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **December 1st 2002.**

"So, is everything set?" Bunnie asked.

"Well, the script is entering its final draft, as for the cast, we haven't reached out to them yet." The employee told her.

"Getting everyone together, there's a challenge for ya." Bunnie said, with a slight chuckle.

"What should I tell them?" He asked.

"Tell you what, just tell them we're having an emergency meeting and that their presence is required." Bunnie told him.

"Understood." He said.

* * *

 **With Sonic, Amy and Cream.**

After reuniting with her best friend, Amy had invited Cream to visit their home, to which she happily accepted.

It didn't take long for Bunnie to notice.

One thing leading to another, she ended up being offered a role in Sonic Advance 2.

Cream was more than happy to take the part, knowing she could move out there and be close to Amy, just like the old days.

"So, when're you gonna find a place out here?" Sonic asked.

"Probably in the Spring, I'd love to start work on a garden as soon as I move in." Cream said.

"That sounds perfect." Amy said.

As the phone rang, Amy and Cream continued the conversation while Sonic went and got it.

"Hello." He answered.

* * *

 **With Shadow.**

With almost a year off of work, Shadow had spent most of his time at the beach, trying to take his mind off of the stress and drama that had happened.

But at the end of each day, he would try to call Rouge and each time, he would receive no answer.

As Shadow rose out of the water, he looked up to find more time had passed than he had thought, finding the sun was setting.

Shadow sighed, walking back to retrieve his phone.

Shadow could easily hear the phone ringing, as the beach had now been empty.

Drying his hands off, he thought over who it could be.

 _"Rouge." He thought._

He nervously picked up the phone, hoping he would hear her voice.

"Hello." He answered.

* * *

 **With the Vector.**

Vector had received the call earlier that day, instantly becoming ecstatic.

This was his chance to reunite with who he had considered his family.

He knew everyone was being called and it was the perfect opportunity to see Espio, Charmy, Knuckles and Mighty again.

Everyone had seemed to go their separate ways, making Vector wonder whether their friendship was genuine or just a result of circumstance.

* * *

 **With Knuckles.**

Using his status to get ahead, Knuckles began relationship after relationship, each one lasting only short periods of time.

It seemed he was determined to make sure everyone knew that he was doing fine and that he didn't need Rouge.

However, that was the farthest thing from the truth.

Knuckles had become dependent on the public eye and the constant dating, using them to avoid the harsh reality of the situation he had gotten himself in.

Upon hearing the call, he jumped at the opportunity, hoping it would lead to another big movie, or in his case, another distraction.

* * *

 **The next day.**

Sonic, Amy and Cream were the first ones to arrive, Bunnie welcoming them into her boardroom.

Tails and Knuckles followed shortly after, the classic trio reunited after some time apart, having filmed for their roles separately for their last few projects.

Amy introduced Tails to Cream, having missed the chance while they were filming for Advance 2.

"Pleasure to meet you miss." Tails said.

Cream blushed, stuttering as she spoke.

"Careful, Cream, he's taken." Amy pointed out.

Amy and Tails just laughed a little at her reaction, while Cream covered her eyes with her ears out of embarrassment.

"Guess who's back?" Charmy shouted, as he entered the room.

"Do we have to?" Knuckles joked, immediately giving him a high five.

"How've ya been, kid?" Knuckles asked.

"I've been alright, I've been trying to stay out of trouble, like I promised." Charmy said.

"I somehow doubt that." Vector said, as he entered the room.

"Seconded." Espio said, surprising everyone as he appeared on the windowsill.

"You know, there's these things called doors, you might want to use one." Bunnie said.

"Where's the fun in that?" Espio asked.

"I never thought I'd be glad to see that old trick again." Vector said, bringing the rest of the Chaotixinto an embrace.

"Vector… can't… breath." Charmy uttered.

"Sorry." Vector said, letting go of them.

"Well then, since everyone's here, I guess I can make my announcement." Bunnie said.

"Wait, what about Mighty?" Vector asked.

"Yeah, and Ray?" Sonic added.

"Ray will be acting as a producer on this project." Bunnie told them.

"As for Mighty, we did contact him, but he's not under contract anymore, so he declined our offer." Bunnie informed them of Mighty's decision.

The rest of the Chaotix looked down to the floor, in both disappointment and sadness.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be back some day." Sonic tried to assure them.

"Getting to the bottom line." Bunnie started, only to be interrupted by the door opening.

"Rouge!" Knuckles and Shadow said, in unison.

"Well, this is a surprise, I thought you weren't going to show up." Bunnie said.

"Let's just say I've had a change of heart." Rouge said.

"Perfect." Bunnie said.

"Well, with everyone here, I can finally tell you about this project." Bunnie said.

"For a little while now, it feels like we've been divided, constantly splitting you all apart from each other when filming, having only a few of you in certain spinoffs, it's become a bit of a mess." Bunnie told them.

"Which is why, I've brought you all here today, I'm here to tell you, we want to do a reunion movie." Bunnie said.

"A reunion movie?" Tails asked.

"Yes, all of you brought back together for one big story, no separation or tension, just one common goal, as well as bringing back the series to its roots a bit." Bunnie told them.

Everyone seemed to look at each other, all of them pretty much liking the idea.

Even with all the complications from the past, this felt like the thing they needed.

Maybe going back to something simpler would be the best approach.

"We're in." Sonic said.


	33. Where We Are

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **January, 2003.**

As production on Sonic Heroes began, there seemed to be a sense of cautious optimism on set.

Everyone, the cast and crew included were concerned that at any moment, something would set off a negative reaction, but still enjoyed catching up with each other and even were relieved by each other's company.

As Sonic walked across the beach, he looked around, seeing the different crews setting up the special effects.

Breathing in the air, Sonic had a sense of nostalgia wash over him.

 _"Wow, Adventure was one thing, but I haven't felt this way in like a decade." Sonic thought._

"I haven't seen you stare at anything this long since your wedding." Rouge joked.

"It's just so surreal, you know?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah." Rouge agreed.

Sonic looked at everyone around the area, all of them reading over the script for their first scenes.

Strangely enough, they had built another robot for this film, this time calling it, Omega.

Big was asked to come back, this time for a more action oriented role, instead of just fishing.

Knuckles stood beside Tails, ready to hold him back as Tails was ranting to the writers.

"Who's idea was this?!" Tails shouted.

"Mr. Prower, please calm down." One of them plead.

"Don't tell me to calm down, you want me to just let the Tornado go?!" Tails continued.

"Seriously, why would we just jump out of the plane for no reason and just let it crash off screen?!" Tails questioned.

"Well, the thing about that is… ." He started, clearly having no excuse.

"You just put my plane in there for no reason other than to just have it on screen and you didn't know what to do with it, so you just wrote it out of there with just as little thought put into it." Tails said, sternly.

"He really loves that plane, doesn't he?" Rouge said.

"Aside from Mina, he loves it more than anything else." Sonic told her.

Sonic looked around more, noticing Shadow looking out at the ocean.

"Hey, what's going on with you two?" Sonic asked, in slight concern.

Rouge flinched slightly, wanting to avoid the subject as best as she could.

"Nothing." She said, coldly.

Sonic got the message.

"Sorry I asked." Sonic said.

"It's alright." She said.

One more look around and Sonic had realized that one cast member was missing.

"Hey, where's Cream?" Sonic asked.

"She's back at the studio, they gave her the day away to film some background footage." Rouge said.

"Background footage?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, they're digitally adding her into Sonic Adventure, for that new director's cut they're releasing, they thought it would be a fun little addition." Rouge explained to him.

"That's honestly kind of weird, but, good for her." Sonic said.

After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Rouge spoke up.

"Sonic." Rouge said.

"Yeah." Sonic said.

"Do you think I made the right choice, coming back I mean?" Rouge asked.

Sonic sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not the one who can answer that Rouge, that's up to you." Sonic said.

Rouge smiled, Sonic's reassurance comforting her.

"Come on, let's get started." Sonic said.


	34. The Bouquet

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **March 2003.**

Well into production, the Sonic Heroes film was actually moving ahead of schedule and it looked to make its end of year release date.

Enthusiasm and hype were at an all time high when it came to the film and for Sonic, it really did feel like the old days.

Luckily not too much like the good old days, since this time he had control and could still spend time with Amy, both on and off of the set.

The couple was still doing surprisingly well, despite the trials and difficulties of being celebrities as well as the media attention set on them, questioning everything.

Sonic and Amy were able to take everything head on, together.

Sonic wasn't exactly the most romantic type, so it came as a surprise for Amy when she received a bouquet of roses that morning.

Amy smiled lovingly as she looked at them, picking up the little note placed carefully on them.

"To my love, the most beautiful woman in the world." Amy read out loud.

 _"It's so cheesy, but I love it." Amy thought._

* * *

 **Meanwhile, on set.**

Sonic had been handling spreading the word on the movie, being interviewed by almost every media source under the sun.

"So, you really think this is going to be your big comeback?" The interviewer said, with a bit of attitude in her voice.

"Comeback?" Sonic said, confused by the question.

"Well yeah, I mean, you're kind of a has been." The interview said.

Unknowingly insulting him, Sonic stood up from his chair and made one statement that said it all.

"Well this so called has been is still rich, famous, working and surrounded by people who love me, if that's what a has been is, then fine by me." Sonic said.

With that, Sonic walked off, cutting the interview short.

"Are you sure it was smart to do that?" Shadow asked.

"No, but at this point, I don't really care when it comes to publicity." Sonic said.

"Shouldn't you care what the fans think?" Shadow asked.

"I do, it's just these interviewers know how to get under my skin." Sonic told him.

"It's like all they want to do is focus on the negatives." Sonic said.

"I know what you mean, all they ever ask me about is if I stole Rouge from Knuckles or if I just used her to gain fame." Shadow told him.

"It's like they already want to create an image of us without even letting us tell them who we are, what we are really all about." Shadow said.

"Welcome to the industry, my friend." Sonic said.

Sonic and Shadow got to talking about their experiences and what they had both gone through up to this point.

"Yeah, I honestly thought it was gonna be the end of me, waking up in that hospital bed, that was probably the most terrifying thing I've had to face in my entire life." Sonic said.

"Rouge was right about you, you are stronger than you think if you can come back from that." Shadow said.

"Thanks." Sonic said.

Amy wrapped her arms around Sonic, surprising both of them.

Sonic flinched in surprise, before looking up at her and kissing her.

"Hey." Sonic said.

"Hey, just wanted to come here and thank you for those roses you sent me." Amy said.

Amy leaned down and kissed him.

Sonic's eyes remained open, both confused and intrigued by her statement.

 _"What roses?" Sonic thought._


	35. Interference

**Okay, a new chapter and basically the start of the modern era for Sonic. How will it go? Let's just see.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **December 30th, 2003.**

Sonic Heroes, the return to form for the franchise, had finally been released.

As the cast anxiously awaited what the public would think of the film, Sonic was anxious about another matter.

Amy had received two more bouquets and numerous gifts from this unknown guy and after Sonic had told her that they weren't from him, Amy was both intrigued and paranoid.

 _"It's probably just an adoring fan." Amy thought, trying to convince herself not to be worried._

Sonic was more stern when it came to the situation, not liking this guy's intentions.

Amy always managed to calm him down, telling him that some fans were more expressive than others.

Sonic was no stranger to gifts either, but he still felt uneasy.

Deciding to let it go for the moment, Sonic called up Shadow to see how things were going at the Station Square premiere party.

"Hey, how is pleasing the crowd going?" Sonic teased him.

"Very funny, lucky for me, Rouge is here to handle the press, as for the fans, they're a lot easier to talk to." Shadow told him.

"Yeah, what did the audience think of it?" Sonic asked.

Sonic didn't hear any response for a moment, Shadow hesitating in answering his question.

"It went… well." Shadow told him, honestly.

"What do you mean by, well?" Sonic questioned further.

"The critics' opinions seemed to vary." Shadow said.

"Well, that's alright, there's still all the other people out there, going to the theaters to see our movie and I bet they'll love it." Sonic said.

"I hope so." Shadow said.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask, do they ever stop to take a break from this franchise?" Shadow asked.

"Oh trust me, it used to be way more crowded." Sonic told him.

"Why do you ask?" Sonic asked him.

"They mentioned today that they wanted me to do a spinoff title." Shadow told him.

"Your own movie?" Sonic asked, in surprise.

He knew Shadow was a fan favorite character and had grown a huge following in such a short time, but he didn't think the studio would take such a gamble, especially after Knuckles' spinoff failed at the box office.

 _"Then again, that was almost a decade ago." Sonic thought._

"Yeah, they said they want to continue the storyline from Heroes, basically exploring my character and whether or not I am the real Shadow." Shadow told him.

"That sounds cool, this could be a big opportunity for you and your career." Sonic said.

"You really think so?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, go for it." Sonic said.

"Thank you." Shadow said.

"No worries, and Shadow." Sonic said.

"Yes?" Shadow answered.

"Just ask Rouge out already." Sonic said.

Sonic ended the call before Shadow could reply, smirking as he did.

"What was that about?" Amy asked.

"Oh, I was just talking to Shadow." Sonic said.

"How's he holding up?" Amy asked.

"I think he's doing really well, he seems like he knows how to handle the fame." Sonic said.

 _"That's more than I can say for some of us." Sonic thought._

"Anyway, are you ready to go?" Amy asked.

"Yeah." Sonic said.

* * *

 **Later.**

Sonic had made dinner reservations for the two of them, making sure they would have the restaurant all to themselves that night.

"Sonic, you didn't have to do that much." Amy said.

"I just wanted some privacy for the two of us." Sonic said.

That evening would be a memorable one.

But not in the way Sonic and Amy had hoped.

As they ate their dinners, the front doors had been slammed open.

"Security!" One of the waiters called out for help.

A hedgehog stormed into the restaurant, his face showing signs of stress and insanity.

His eyes were deranged, his fur was disheveled and he walked with a twitch.

"Amy!" He yelled.

"I'm here for you!" He screamed.

Sonic and Amy slowly started to sneak away, heading for the back door.

 _"Please don't see us, please don't see us." Amy thought, begging that they would make it out of there._

"Amy." He said, more softly.

 _"He saw us." She thought._

Sonic and Amy looked at the hedgehog, who had a disturbed grin on his face.

"Did you get the flowers I sent you?" He asked.

Sonic glared at him.

"I knew this guy was trouble." Sonic thought.

"Y-yes, they were lovely." Amy stuttered, worried for the both of them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sonic saw someone calling the cops.

The hedgehog turned his sights to Sonic, returning the glare.

"You don't deserve someone as perfect as her!" The hedgehog screamed.

Within the span of just a few seconds, everything for Sonic went by in a blur.

A thudding noise was heard, the blinding light and piercing sounds of the sirens surrounded them and before he knew it, everything went dark.

* * *

 **Two days later.**

Sonic awoke suddenly, with a gasp, darting his sight around the room in a panic.

Sonic realized that he was in a hospital bed.

Getting control of his breath, he looked around the room more carefully, noticing that he was all alone, the room only lit by dim green lighting.

 _"Amy!" He thought, with panic._

Throwing the blanket off of himself, he walked out the door, to find the hospital fully staffed, some of the doctors trying to keep the reporters away.

"Mr. Hedgehog, thank goodness you're awake." One of the nurses said.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"We found you two at the restaurant, don't worry, they arrested the hedgehog responsible." The nurse told him.

"You suffered an injury to the head, you've been out cold for a couple days, but thankfully it evidently wasn't a coma." The nurse told him.

"Where's Amy?" He asked.

The nurse placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with a sense of sorrow.

"She's in surgery." The nurse told him.

Sonic could barely breath, falling back against the wall for support.

 _"No." He thought._

"Don't worry, she's going to be alright." The nurse assured him.

Tears started to fall from Sonic's eyes, still not fully processing the whole situation.

"Can I see her?" Sonic asked.

"She's still there right now, she'll be in recovery for a while after too." The nurse said.

"I promise you, she's going to be okay." The nurse said.

This nurse seemed so passionate about the whole thing, like she had known the two of them as close friends.

"Thank you." Sonic said.

"You're welcome." She said.

"I have to get back to work, you get back to your room, I'll inform you of her condition as we go." She told him.

"Alright." Sonic said.

As Sonic got to the door, he looked over at her.

"Hey, what's your name?" Sonic asked.

The nurse smiled at him and answered.

"I'm Blaze."


	36. Healing

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **January 5th, 2004.**

It had been almost a week since Sonic and Amy had been brought to the hospital after their unfortunate encounter with Amy's stalker.

Since then, Amy had undergone surgery and has been in recovery for a few days.

To Sonic's frustration, he was told not to disturb her rest and therefore keep his distance.

Sonic was appalled by this decision, as he wanted nothing more than to be with his wife.

To avoid any uncooperative behavior from Sonic, guards were assigned to the recovery area, thus detaining him.

While he was furious at first, he eventually stopped his attempts, focusing his concern on Amy and her recovery.

His stubbornness would cease, for the time being and for her sake.

As Sonic slowly walked down the hospital halls that night, he looked at some of the other patients who were there as well.

Most of them were resting, but one room caught his attention as the glowing light of the television shined through the door window.

As Sonic approached it, he looked in, seeing a group of people, all watching the television with it on low volume so they wouldn't get caught.

As Sonic looked at the screen, he held back his laughter as he saw himself on the television.

They were watching the premiere of Sonic Battle.

Sonic looked around, checking if anyone would see him.

When he thought it was all clear, he opened the door and walked inside.

The groups focus was still on the television.

"Wow, that fight between Sonic and Shadow was awesome." One of the kids said.

"Please, they probably just used stunt doubles." One of the adults remarks.

"Actually, we insisted that we do the scene ourselves." Sonic said, with a smirk in his face.

Everyone's eyes widened before slowly turning around, seeing the blue hedgehog standing there.

"Hey, everyone." Sonic said, nonchalantly.

Sure enough, they immediately approached him.

Sonic motioned for them to keep quiet, as to not wake the other patients.

"I must be dreaming." A female hedgehog said, right before fainting.

"Mr. Hedgehog, will you sign my cast?" The same kid from before asked him.

"Sure, I just need a marker, anyone got one?" Sonic asked.

Sonic looked around for a moment, before someone held on out in front of his face.

"Thank you." Sonic said, as he took it.

Sonic hadn't noticed that everyone's eyes were glued to the door, also not noticing who he had taken the marker from.

As Sonic signed the cast, someone cleared there throat to get his attention.

As Sonic looked over, he was met with a stern look from Nurse Blaze.

Sonic finished signing and the rest of the patients rushed back to their beds.

"Mr. Hedgehog, please return to your room." Blaze instructed.

Sonic followed Blaze as she walked back to his room with him.

"When I said you should start walking to help yourself heal, this isn't exactly what I meant." Blaze said.

"Sorry, I guess I just got distracted." Sonic apologized.

Though in his mind, he was thankful for the distraction, even if only for a few minutes.

As Sonic and Blaze entered the room, Blaze helped Sonic back onto the bed.

As Blaze was about to leave the room, Sonic thought of something.

"Hey, Blaze." Sonic said.

"Yes?" Blaze answers.

"Tell me about yourself." Sonic said.

Blaze looked at him, confused at his request.

"Why do you want to know?" Blaze asked.

"Curiosity." Sonic said.

"You know what they say about curiosity." Blaze joked.

"I think it'll be fine, besides, it's been almost a week, I figured I should know more about you by now." Sonic told her.

Blaze gave in and pulled up a chair.

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Blaze asked.

From there, Sonic asked Blaze the usual questions when being introduced and Blaze obliged.

Blaze told of her life, growing up as an orphan and how she had to move from city to city as she grew up.

"I basically did odd jobs throughout my childhood in order to pay for food." Blaze said.

"After I accomplished the bare minimum of the education courses they gave me, I found a job working here." Blaze told him.

"Did you always want to be a nurse?" Sonic asked.

"No, this was just the only place that accepted me." Blaze said.

"Well then… what do you want to do?" Sonic asked.

"I wanted to be an actress." Blaze said, sadly.

"Really?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah." Blaze said.

"That's great, I'm sure you're an amazing actress." Sonic said.

"I'm just okay." Blaze said.

"So, what've you done so far?" Sonic asked.

"Nothing." Blaze said, with a sigh.

"Well, I'm sure someone will see your talent." Sonic said.

"Not likely… I have a reputation." Blaze said.

"A reputation for what?" Sonic asked.

Blaze hesitated a moment, before deciding she could trust him.

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone here, I could lose my job." Blaze told him.

"I promise." Sonic said.

Blaze took in a deep breath and held out her hand.

Sonic looked closely before flinching and moving back from the sudden arrival of a flame.

Sonic watched in awe, as the small flame took shape, becoming a miniature version of Blaze.

The flame dance and twirled around in the palm of her hand.

Blaze smiled, always happy that she could bring some sort of joy with her abilities.

She slowly closed her hand and the flame disappeared.

"That's incredible." Sonic said.

"Thanks." Blaze said.

"But… how is that a bad thing?" Sonic asked.

"At my first audition, I was understandably anxious." Blaze said.

"When they called me to the stage, I could barely think and my emotions got the better of me." Blaze said, looking down at her hands, in shame.

"I lost control and accidentally set fire to the stage." Blaze told him.

Sonic heard this and couldn't help but laugh.

"You think it's funny?!" Blaze shouted.

"No, it's just… I did something similar when I had my first audition." Sonic said.

"Really?" Blaze asked.

"Yeah, I was so nervous, I had a breakdown and ended up running so fast, I caused a whirlwind and almost trashed the theater." Sonic told her.

"Okay that is pretty bad." Blaze said, while laughing.

"The point is, you made a mistake and they just can't see your gift for what it is." Sonic said.

"It's more like a curse." Blaze said.

"Not the way I see it." Sonic said.

"Besides, I'm sure someone would love to see the kind of spectacles you can create." Sonic said.

"Not really, I was banned from the premises and they basically made my name synonymous with disaster." Blaze told him.

Sonic took one look at the sad expression on Blaze's face and knew exactly what he had to do.

"What if I got you an audition?" Sonic asked her.

"What?" Blaze asked.

"I mean, you'd be perfect for the series." Sonic said.

"I don't know." Blaze said, nervously.

"Blaze, is being an actress really what you want?" Sonic asked.

"More than anything." Blaze said.

"Well then?" Sonic asked.

Blaze contemplated for a moment and then looked at Sonic, with a smile.

"Where do I start?" Blaze asked.


	37. The Fire Inside

**Hello. It's been interesting, to say the least. My apologies for the delays, but I wanted to finish my other stories first, that way my focus could be on this story. To everyone who has continued to read and to all the newcomers, I thank you. With that said, let's get back to it.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **March 1st 2004.**

Amy had managed to make a full recovery and over the course of time that had passed, Sonic had helped her every step of the way.

At the moment, they were inseparable, having plenty of time to themselves.

With filming for the next Advance already ahead of schedule and the two of them not needing to film anything until their cameos in Shadow's film, it gave them an opportunity to relax and spend some time together.

When he wasn't taking care of Amy or avoiding the press when they went out in public, he was trying to get Blaze an audition.

 _"I made her a promise and I intend to keep it." Sonic thought._

To Sonic's surprise, Blaze had not been exaggerating when she had told him about her name being a source of rejection when it came to the entertainment industry.

She was seen as a liability and a danger to her peers.

Even with all this knowledge, Sonic would persist and was determined to help her start her career in acting.

"Sonic, I realize this means a lot to you, but this woman is somewhat of a hazard." Bunnie told him.

"I know, but you're my last hope." Sonic said.

"I've tried talking to the producers and even Ray, but none of them will accept." Sonic said.

Sonic heard Bunnie sigh and tap her fingers, over the phone.

"Just one audition, that's all I'm asking for." Sonic pleaded.

"Fine." Bunnie said.

"We'll start out small, we have another television film coming up and we need some new faces to join the cast anyway." Bunnie told him.

"Thank you, I promise, you won't regret this." Sonic told her.

"I hope I don't." Bunnie said.

Sonic ended the call and dialed Blaze's number, more than excited about telling her the good news.

* * *

 **March 8th 2004.**

Blaze had managed to find a temporary replacement for her job at the hospital, just in case her audition didn't go so well.

Sonic greeted her at the front gate of the studio and gave her a little tour.

"So, how're you feeling?" Sonic asked.

"Fine." Blaze said, quickly.

Sonic chuckled, recognizing that anxiety and reaction.

"Just be yourself." Sonic said.

Blaze looked at him, skeptical of his advice.

She simply nodded and kept on walking beside him.

Eventually, it was time for the moment of truth.

Sonic opened the door for Blaze and as she walked in, she was met with stares from everyone in the room.

Some looked concerned, others looked terrified and one guy even had a fire extinguisher at the ready.

Blaze made her way onto the stage and took a deep breath.

 _"Just be yourself." Blaze thought._

With that, Blaze slowly created a flame, carefully presenting her talent.

What followed was a few minutes of what could be described as a spectacle to the eyes.

While some were still hesitant, others had their jaws dropping in awe.

While keeping the flames under control, Blaze had executed her routine, a combination of combat and dance.

It was a beautiful display of energy, passion and elegance.

As Blaze's movements started to slow and the flames began to lose their glow, the crowd began to cheer, even giving her a standing ovation.

Meanwhile, Sonic and Bunnie had been watching from behind the stage.

"So?" Sonic asked.

Bunnie smirked in response to his enthusiasm and rolled her eyes.

"She's hired." Bunnie said.


	38. Awkward Decisions

**This chapter is a bit short, mostly because these couple of years don't have much material to work with.**

 **But once we get to a certain infamous game in the series that I think we all know by this point, the chapters will go back to being a bit longer again.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **July 26th 2004.**

Blaze had been accepted and after signing her contract, she had become an official member of the Sonic cast.

While filming for the special wouldn't start for another three months, Blaze's confidence and enthusiasm were at an all time high.

As she worked at the hospital, the staff and even some of the patients congratulated her and wished her the best of luck.

However, while things were going great on that side, the same could not be said for the rest of cast.

Specially, Shadow.

* * *

 **Sega Studios.**

"So… the movie seems like it's gonna be… good." Sonic tried to lie.

Shadow looked at him, with an unamused expression.

"It's a disaster." Shadow said.

"Come on, it can't be that bad." Sonic said.

"So they're making it a bit more action based and over the top, what's the harm in that?" Sonic pointed out.

"Well, apparently I may be part alien or maybe not, I may be the real Shadow or maybe not and I might be the protagonist or the antagonist." Shadow told him.

"That last part sounds kind of cool." Sonic said.

"In concept, yes, in execution, not so much." Shadow said.

"The problem is that they don't even tell me what decisions they're going to make and they're all so ridiculous." Shadow said.

"Well… at least the motorcycle is kind of cool." Sonic said, still trying to look on the positive side of things.

"Yeah, they're letting me keep it, but what's the point of it when we can run faster?" Shadow questioned.

"Because it looks awesome for all of the posters." Sonic said.

Shadow sighed, knowing that this could ruin his image as well as damage his character's reputation.

"Look, don't worry about it, I've been in plenty of bad projects too, it's nothing to stress about, you've just got to roll with it and keep moving." Sonic said.

"Yes, but you had good movies to fall back on and years of recognition." Shadow pointed out.

"I'm still fairly new and this is my only solo project." Shadow said.

"Hey, I'm sure it'll find it's audience." Sonic said.

"Besides, you're so popular, I'm sure it'll get a sequel." Sonic said.

Shadow just chuckled at Sonic's remark, not believing that he would be getting another solo movie.


	39. Studio Burnout

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **October 8th 2004.**

Sonic walked to the studio that Fall morning, the cold and fog reminding him of home around this time of year.

 _"I should head back there soon." Sonic thought._

As Sonic walked through the gates, his mind went back to focusing on questioning why they had called and told him to come in, that morning.

 _"Hopefully it's good news." Sonic thought._

Sonic made his way to the boardroom, immediately noticing that almost everyone had shown up.

"Hey, what's going on?" Sonic asked.

"They called us in to get our opinions, they mentioned something about the franchise going forward." Tails said.

Sonic nodded, understanding the situation completely.

 _"Things have been getting a little out of hand." Sonic thought._

As Sonic took his seat and sat down, Bunnie walked in.

"Good morning, everyone." Bunnie said.

Some replied with a cheerful response, while others simply grumbled, clearly having gone without their morning coffee.

"Alright, I'll cut right to the chase." Bunnie said.

"We have two major releases set for next year as well as other projects in development, however, it has become clear that the franchise has become… complicated, to say the least." Bunnie said.

"Which is why I have called you all here, in order to discuss and create new ideas for the series." Bunnie said.

"Why did you call us in?" Knuckles asked.

"These ideas need to be solid, which means everyone's input is important." Bunnie explained.

"If anyone has any ideas they've always wanted to pitch, we're all willing to listen, because in all honesty, we're not sure on what to do." Bunnie told them.

Sonic was shocked by her bluntness.

He knew that the writing team and creative forces behind the series were starting to run out of fuel, but he had been sure that it was only a slump and that new ideas would come in time.

On the one hand, it seemed desperate, but on the other, it was a chance to throw stuff out there and see what stuck with the public's favor.

Hours passed on, Sonic almost falling asleep from boredom, as no one had pitched something that had caught his interest, at least not entirely.

Tails had been wanting to take the series in a more science fiction type direction, pitching a script involving aliens and a different tone for the series that was much brighter.

 _"Maybe in a few years." Sonic thought._

One employee pitched two racing projects, one for the big screen and the other for television.

All Sonic had noticed was the fact that they mentioned hover boards, which actually sounded cool.

Some ideas had landed, others had just seemed ridiculous.

Sonic sighed loudly, catching everyone's attention.

"What is it, Sonic?" Rouge asked.

"Do you ever think about just taking a break?" Sonic asked.

"What?" Shadow asked, in surprise.

"I mean, I remember when I was out of the business for a little while, maybe we all need a break from the complications." Sonic said.

Everyone looked at one another, waiting for someone to answer.

To their surprise, someone responded.

"Maybe we just need to get rid of the complications." Someone said.

Everyone turned to look towards the door, seeing a lone polar bear standing there with a smile on his face.

"Bark!" Everyone shouted, in surprise.

"It's good to see you all again." Bark said.

"It's good to see you too, buddy." Sonic said.

"Yeah, how long has it been?" Knuckles asked.

"Eight years or so." Bark replied.

"Bark, as wonderful as it is to see you again, we are still having a discussion." Bunnie said.

"I'm aware, which is why I'm here." Bark said.

"I thought you retired." Knuckles pointed out.

"As an actor, I did, but I took some inspiration from Ray and started working behind the scenes." Bark told them.

"Alright, so what did you mean by getting rid of the complications?" Shadow asked.

"I'm talking about letting the past go and leaving behind the current mess you're dealing with." Bark said.

"Which means?" Sonic asked.

"I'm talking about doing a reboot." Bark said.

* * *

 **October 9th 2004.**

Bark's reboot idea seemed ideal, on paper at least.

A brand new start for the series as a whole and everyone would be a part of it.

A new, more realistic setting and design, combined with a darker tone.

It wouldn't be Shadow levels of over the top angst, but it would be different and distinct enough to create an identity of its own.

He presented the idea of a time travel plot as well as a devastating event on the levels of Chaos from Sonic Adventure.

He also would add in a new character for the series, in order to bring even more fans in.

Another hedgehog, who would rival Sonic and Shadow.

Everyone agreed it seemed like a good plan, however both Shadow's solo film and Rush were far into production and would have to be released in order to gain back the loss from their budgets.

Bark agreed to hold off on filming for a few months until after Shadow's movie would be announced in March of next year.

Things were set and the reboot as well as a few projects that would be outside of the continuity of the main series, were picked up.

Bark, wanting to put everyone more at ease as well as prove himself as a competent director and writer, offered to film some test footage that would basically be a prototype for what he wanted to create with this new reboot.

Bunnie agreed and allowed him to use one of their new, high definition cameras.

This was going to be more mainstream, more modern and on a higher scale than anything they had filmed before.

"In honor of the franchise's fifteenth anniversary, this new movie will be for viewers old and new and I guarantee it will be memorable." Bark exclaimed.

Well… it would be memorable.


	40. Silver Lining

**Well, it's about time to start work on the reboot and introduce the newest member of the cast.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **March 9th 2005.**

The much anticipated day had finally arrived.

Shadow's solo film had been announced the previous day, which many thought was merely a joke.

While Shadow was still slightly embarrassed over the initial reaction, most of that feeling subsided when Bark had assured him that his new take on Shadow's character would bring more dignity to the role and not just have him trying to cash in on the dark and edgy craze going on at the moment.

"Hey, Bark, I was wondering, why is Shadow suddenly allied with the people who took Maria away from him, it doesn't really make any sense?" Sonic questioned.

"I told you before that this is a reboot and while I did keep the Maria story arc with Shadow alive, I've modified it for future installments." Bark told him.

"Maria simply passed away from natural causes, however this time Shadow better understood her words, thus leading to him allying with high authorities on earth and becoming an agent." Bark explained.

Bark then turned to face Shadow.

"I know your character and his current identity in the franchise is upsetting you, but with this new film, we can present him in a better light and lean his specific genre more towards an espionage direction and less towards over the top action." Bark told him.

Shadow nodded in understanding, not saying a word but thanking him in his own way.

"Speaking of starting out new and improved, I heard the new guy is showing up today." Rouge said.

"Yeah and from what I heard, he's from your home town, Sonic." Blaze said.

Sonic looked surprised for a moment, wondering who it could possibly be.

 _"It's been awhile, but I don't remember anyone from town that was interested in acting." Sonic thought._

Sonic thought on the subject a bit more, when an idea of who it could be crossed his mind.

 _"Oh, please don't be Manic or Sonia!" Sonic thought._

All of a sudden, to their surprise, Amy walks in, guiding a hedgehog with dull, silver fur around.

The hedgehog looks around in awe, gripping the straps of his old, worn out backpack.

He looks to be around Blaze's age, though his ragged appearance didn't suit him well.

"Hey, everyone." Amy greeted them.

Everyone looks at the two of them, worryingly.

"Amy… who is this?" Rouge asked.

However, the hedgehog decided to speak up and address Sonic first.

"Sonic, it's good to see you again." The hedgehog said.

Everyone looked at Sonic for some sort of indication as to who this guy could be.

Sonic just looked at him, with a confused expression on his face.

"I take it you don't remember me." The hedgehog said.

Sonic nodded no, to which the hedgehog chuckled.

"It's alright, over eleven years is a long time." The hedgehog said.

"Eleven years?" Sonic mentally questioned.

Sonic was intrigued, wondering who from his past it could possible be.

"Tell me if this jogs your memory." The hedgehog said.

The hedgehog set down his backpack and opened it up, pulling out a violin.

This caught everyone's interest immediately, even more so as he began to play.

The melody was sweet yet saddening and while everyone listened to it like it was an ordinary music piece, the sound had caused Sonic to witness a distant memory.

One that he had always dreaded revisiting, each time it had came back to him.

It was the day of his mother's funeral.

Images from that day played out in his mind.

The coffin being lowered into the ground and his rage at the reporters that had shown up, disgracing his family.

In the distance, he remembered the sound of the violin being played and the sad look of the young hedgehog who had been playing the instrument.

The hedgehog who had been abandoned at a young age and left to be the town orphan.

"Silver?" Sonic said.

Silver smiled and hugged Sonic, thankful that he had remembered him.

"It's good to see you again." Silver said.

"Yeah, you look… ." Sonic said, stopping as he really took notice of Silver's appearance.

"I know I haven't exactly bathed since… ." Silver trailed off.

Silver began to count, using his fingers until he finally gave up.

"Yeah, I haven't bathed." Silver said.

Sonic chuckled at his comment, while the rest just either rolled their eyes or looked away in disgust.

"So, what're you doing here?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, Amy didn't tell you?" Silver questioned.

"I'm your new cast mate." Silver said, with a smile.

* * *

 **Later.**

Sonic and Amy had invited everyone over to get acquainted with Silver.

After a short amount of time, Silver reappeared, walking down the stares after he had bathed and cleaned himself up.

His once dull fur was now brighter and his quills were now brushed into a strange design.

"So, Silver, why don't you tell us how you got into acting?" Rouge asked, awkwardly.

"Oh, for the money." Silver said.

Everyone looked both surprised and yet amused by his blunt answer.

"I kind of have to eat, plus it would be nice to finally have somewhere to live." Silver said.

"What do you mean, finally?" Knuckles asked.

Silver explained how he had been abandoned at a very young age and had the misfortune of never being taken in by anyone, being forced to live on the street.

After awhile, I came to terms with it and once I was old enough, I started wandering off on my own." Silver said.

"I would walk and hitchhike from town to town, doing as many jobs as I could to keep myself alive." Silver explained.

"Eventually I was able to get an education and receive a diploma." Silver said.

"After that, I made my way out here, with the intention of becoming an actor, just like Sonic did." Silver said.

Sonic smiled, proud of what Silver had accomplished despite his hardships.

Sonic smirked as he quickly noticed that someone else there was more than enthralled by Silver's story.

 _"Note to self, have Amy ask Blaze about her thoughts on Silver." Sonic thought._

"Honestly, I'm glad my first acting job is with all of you, because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing." Silver told them.

Some of them laughed while others groaned at his novice attitude, but one thing was clear to all of them.

Silver would be a great addition to their group.


	41. Just A Sprain

**I wanted to write up a quick chapter before another big one. I wasn't sure what tone I wanted to go for when writing this short chapter. Maybe it could've been played for laughs or drama, but in the end, I decided to keep the focus on genuineness. I hope you enjoy.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **April 8th 2005.**

Sonic flipped through the channels, trying to find something to watch.

 _"Hundreds of channels and there's still nothing on." Sonic thought._

Sonic finally found a movie that he liked, only for it to cut to a commercial.

 _"Why do they do that, it just takes you out of the movie?" Sonic wondered._

As Sonic searched, he noticed for a split second, a familiar blue hedgehog on the screen.

Sonic quickly flipped back to the channel, seeing a younger him on screen.

Sonic chuckled to himself, feeling nostalgic.

 _"I haven't watched the first movie in a long time." Sonic thought._

Sonic began to reminisce about that decade as a whole and while it did present some of his darkest times, it also had some of the best.

As Sonic continued watching, he did notice one thing had changed.

 _"I'm too slow." Sonic thought._

Whether or not it was all in Sonic's mind, Sonic felt like he had become much slower compared to when he was in his prime.

Sonic turned off the movie and proceeded to put on his running shoes.

 _"If we're starting out with a new movie, maybe it's time I got back into shape." Sonic thought._

Sonic walked out and closed the door behind him, admiring the beautiful, sunny day.

"Perfect." Sonic said.

Sonic started out doing a leisurely jog before making his way up to full speed.

As Sonic ran, he made his way out of his suburb and into the city, saying hello to fans as he passed by.

It was just a few moments later that Sonic began to feel a sharp pain in his right leg.

Sonic winced from the sudden pain and attempted to slow himself down.

As Sonic came to a stop, he looked down at his leg to see if he'd hurt it somehow.

 _"It looks okay." Sonic thought._

Sonic took another step, finding that he had no major pain as he stepped down.

Sonic sighed, in relief.

 _"It's probably just a sprain." Sonic thought._

Sonic shrugged it off and began his walk home, not realizing the severity of his situation or what would result from it.


	42. Damaged

**Welcome back everyone. I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. Up to now the reboot has been in the back of my mind when writing this story and it's been in the background for a little bit. Keep in mind, I actually remember liking the game but with this story, the faults with it will be mentioned. However, I wanted to be more authentic and get more detail, so as I am writing this I am also playing through the game again to get a fresh perspective. I hope you like the chapter and thank you to all of the readers.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team._

* * *

 **May 1st 2005.**

Production had officially started a week prior and filming would begin later that day.

A few scenes had already been filmed and the all too familiar hectic nature of filmmaking started to set in, reminding everyone of how intense things could get.

It didn't seem to have a major impact on everyone though, as everyone seemed to be cautiously enthusiastic about the project.

"Sonic, they need you on set." Rouge told him, from outside of his trailer.

"Okay, I'll be right out." Sonic answered.

Rouge walked away, smiling as she saw Shadow arrive.

Little did she know that if she had just opened the door, she would have seen the blue hedgehog wincing in pain as he applied an ice pack to his leg.

 _"Seriously, it's been almost a month, why won't it heal?" Sonic questioned._

Sonic had been feeling a bit panicked over his current condition and his lack of recovery, especially due to the circumstances of filming and being at just the beginning of a production which was already in a rush.

Yes, the film had a target release date, set to be in June of 2006, just in time for the franchise's fifteenth anniversary.

Sonic was putting aside his own personal health, for the sake of everyone else.

 _"I wish I could stay off of my leg, but it can't be that bad, hopefully it'll just be the slow, dialogue scenes for today." Sonic hoped._

It would not be.

Of course, as luck would have it, today they would be filming parts of the various Crisis City scenes.

Despite the scene mostly using computer graphics for the environment, they would also be utilizing practical effects which would entail a heavy reliance on complicated stunt work.

"Alright, places everyone, we need to get this shot right." Bark told the cast and crew.

As Sonic stepped onto the set, he saw the objects which were going to be thrown at him as he ran at almost his top speed.

 _"I can do this, I just need to work off the pain." Sonic thought._

Bark sat down in his chair, looking at Sonic from the camera's view.

 _"Something isn't right." Bark thought._

Bark hesitated for just a moment, pondering about what to do.

"Action." Bark said, coldly.

With that cue from Bark given, Sonic took off running, narrowly avoiding the projectiles being thrown at him as well as the various obstacles on the damaged streets.

 _"It's Sonic Adventure 2 all over again." Sonic thought, as he tried to distract himself from the sharp pain coming from his leg._

 _"Well, at least there's no runaway truck this time." Sonic thought._

As soon as his train of thought had landed on the subject, the vortex of fire flung a car in his direction.

Sonic narrowly avoided impact with the car, almost colliding with a pile of crates as he shifted his direction.

With each rapid step he took, Sonic's pain increased.

 _"I can't keep this up!" Sonic thought._

Sonic began to panic and with his focus decreasing by the second, he couldn't avoid the objects anymore.

"Stop!" Sonic screamed out in agony.

As Sonic stopped running, he fell to the floor, holding his leg and breathing through his gritted teeth.

The cameras had stopped rolling and everyone ran to help Sonic.

* * *

 **The next day.**

Sonic had been sitting in a chair for what had seemed like hours, just staring at the ceiling, awaiting the diagnosis.

As the doctor walked in to give him the news, it had almost seemed like Sonic's hearing had temporarily gone away, as the shock of those few words had numbed him to everything else.

 _"Possible permanent damage." Sonic thought._

Those three words had shaken him to the core and terrified him more than almost anything ever had.

* * *

 **Three days later.**

The cast and Bark were standing around the set, all of them having the same feelings of despair and doubt.

Sonic's unfortunate condition had left them in a state of unease and with that came uncertainty.

"So… what's the plan?" Silver asked.

"The studio wants us to keep filming, we've moved Shadow and Silver's scenes ahead of schedule." Bark said.

"We film your two stories first, then when Sonic's recovered a bit we'll ease him back in by filming his dialogue scenes and finally we'll film the rest of his action sequences last." Bark told them.

While it did seem like the smartest move to make, everyone still seemed to have the feeling that something wasn't right.

Shadow hesitantly walked onto the set, prepared to film his opening sequence which would serve as the new introduction to his character.

 _"Please, recover quickly." Shadow thought._

Rouge was attempting to call Amy, only to not have anyone answer.

 _"I hope they're okay." Rouge thought._

Blaze walked over to Silver and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you think that he'll be alright?" Blaze asked.

Silver breathed a heavy sigh and shut his eyes, remembering the hedgehog that he had looked up to.

"I don't know." Silver answered, in a defeated tone.

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Unbeknownst to Rouge, Amy had remained awake those days prior, until just an hour before her call, she had fallen asleep, still remaining by Sonic's side.

Sonic smiled as he looked at her, holding her close and brushing one of her quills to the side of her face, away from her eye.

 _"Even at my worst, it's not all bad." Sonic thought._

As the doctor entered the room, he was careful not to awaken Amy.

"So, Mr. Hedgehog, have you reached a decision?" The doctor asked him.

"Yes." Sonic said.

Sonic paused and took another look at Amy, before looking back at the doctor with determination in his expression.

"Do it." Sonic said.

"Very well then, I'll schedule the procedure for next week." The doctor said, while writing something down.

"Good luck, Mr. Hedgehog." The doctor said.

As the doctor left the room, Sonic turned his glance to Amy, once more.

"Don't worry, I'll be back on my feet in no time at all." Sonic whispered to her.


End file.
